The ReEducation of Zechs Merquise
by Madisonne
Summary: PG-13 for language. When someone's lost, how do you find them (figuratively)? Treize seeks to find out, helping a man he inadvertently hurt.
1. The Choices We Make

Day By Day:

The Choices We Make

By: Madisonne

Part: 1/?

Warnings: Angst, injury

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does NOT belong to me... (Damn, damn, damn...) No infringement on the rights of the owners of said anime intended. Don't sue me, suing isn't nice. As for the fic, don't steal it! Review and I will love you forever! ;-D!

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"Security might be a problem, sir." The young cadet interjected.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Cadet, security's _always _a problem. This speech is very important."

"With all due respect, sir," The man next to him said, a small smirk on his face, "Your life is also very important."

He slammed his hand down on the desk. "Goddamn it, I will _not_ cower in the background just because of a few childish rebels! Now I suggest you go make the proper accommodations and secure the hall."

The cadet nodded shakily, obviously shaken at his leader's unusual show of anger and backed out of the room.

"Treize..." The man began.

He rubbed his sore hand. "Don't start. Just don't. I _have_ to do this."

"No you don't. We don't need their support! We can deal with this..."

"I said I will give the goddamn speech!" He yelled, whirling on his subordinate.

He sighed and threw up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright... What time is the speech set for?"

"Why?"

"If you're going, so am I. I won't let you go out there and risk yourself without reasonable protection!"

"No, please. I don't want to endanger you!"

"Then don't give the goddamn speech! I'm your subordinate, remember?!! I'm supposed to _protect_ you!" He stood up, gathering the papers spread out on the table in front of him.

"Zechs, please..."

"Don't 'Zechs, please...' me. You're too willing to take risks! You give me a heart attack near every time you step out this door!"

He sighed. "It's at seven."

"Thank you." He saluted his superior then left the room.

He sat down in his chair at his desk. "Okay... Where to begin? We gathered you here today, ladies... No... Today we gather here to... No, not right either... Today we celebrate..."

* * * * *

Zechs sighed as he checked with security one last time before heading behind the podium to sit and watch the speech. "All clear?"

"As far as we can tell, sir. We've been checking ID's and everything, sir! Short of frisking, sir." The man was tinkering with a bit of wire. "All systems should be go in thirty seconds, sir." 

"Tell me if anything changes, I have my ear-piece in." He nodded to the techs then made his way to the front of the auditorium. Politely pulling Treize away from a conversation with some diplomat or another, he relayed the message.

"Good. Well, we'd better begin then..." Treize nodded, turning to the podium and holding his hand up for silence.

Zechs slipped back to a chair in the middle of a bunch of diplomats. Barely moving his mouth, he spoke into the mouthpiece clipped to the shirt of his tuxedo. "Everything good?"

"Yup..." Came the whispered answer.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have called you here today to announce changes that are going to be made in the system..."

As Treize went on, Zechs' mind wandered, keeping an eye on the audience at all times. He saw something out of the corner of his eye that remarkably resembled a gun, specifically a Kalashnikov... "Uh oh you guys... We may have a problem..." He whispered into his mouthpiece.

"What?" A hurried reply.

"Indian diplomat, my 12:00... Two men down, the one in the black tux. I think he's got a Kalash..."

"Wait a second, repeat that. I thought you just said you saw a man with a Kalashnikov!"

"I did, damn it! Who's got the twenty on the shooter?"

"Uh... No one, we're all too far..."

"Who's the closest one?" He asked, hurriedly. 

"Uh... No one, really. Look, we'll take care..."

"He's bringing it out... I have no choice!"

"Don't do it, sir!"

"I have no choice. GUN! GUN! EVERYBODY DOWN!!!" He screamed as he sprung out of his seat and side-tackled his superior, who was in the middle of giving his speech. As he did so, several shots rang out. 

Treize reacted purely in shock to being thrown aside, then being dragged back behind the marble podium by his subordinate.

Zechs risked a look out, then seeing a clear shot; he pulled out a gun from a pocket inside his coat and shot once.

The earpiece shrilled to life. "The shooter's down, the shooter's down everyone!"

Zechs sighed, then whimpered as his legs gave out from under him and he crashed into Treize, who was still sitting on the ground, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Treize pulled the slight weight of his subordinate off him, then realized that the man was seeping blood through his clothes. "Shit! Goddamn it! Damn damn damn..."

Zechs' earpiece blared to life again. "Oh my god, look at all the blood! Who's been hit?!! Who's been hit?!!"

Treize fumbled for the mouthpiece he knew was on Zechs' shirt collar. "Zechs' been hit, he's losing a lot of blood. Get a transport ready now!"

"Thank god you're safe, sir!"

"Right now, we need to worry about him." He said, looking down at the unconscious figure in his arms. The panicked screams of the crowd mixed with the pounding of his own heart-beat in his ears, but he heard them through a daze of disbelief. Although in shock, he thought quickly enough to check if Zechs was still breathing. "Vital stats are clear but the beat is faint and irregular..." 

The voice of the other end of the system cursed. "We're getting a rescue team up there as soon as we can, sir."

"Well, hurry the fuck up with it!"

"Uh, sorry sir."

He sighed in relief as he saw a crew of three medics pushing their way up onto the stage, stretcher and supplies in tow. He relinquished his hold on his subordinate as they lifted the body onto the stretcher, but kept the man's hand tucked within his own. The crew didn't comment, and went about their duty with a speed that would amaze most people. 

"Vitals 2 and 20. Give me twenty ccs to prevent seizure..." A female medic ordered, then administered the dose to the base of Zechs' neck. 

As they whisked down the halls, people scattering in front of them, a crew member pulled out a wrist com unit from under her uniform. "We've got incoming of a young man..."

"He's nineteen." Treize managed to blurt out.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Him," Treize nodded towards the form on the gurney, "He's nineteen."

"Alright, clarification, incoming of nineteen-year-old male, five gunshot wounds, losing a lot of blood so have units ready, E.T.A. ten minutes." She listened to the voice on the other side. "Sir, do you know what blood type he is?"

"I think... He's type O."

She relayed the message just as the helicopter took off and most sound was drowned out by the thundering of the blades above.

Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors had to literally break the hold Treize had on his subordinate's hand. The female medic looked up at him. "I assure you sir, he's in the best of care now. Why don't you go down and wait in the lobby? Would you like something to drink? Or eat?"

He shook his head numbly and watch them cart away his protector. 

"Sir?"

He started violently. "Wh-what?!!"

A young woman, around 19, obviously a hospital helper, was at his side. "Why don't we go down to the waiting room?"

Treize didn't respond.

She tugged on his arm. "Come on. There's nothing you can do to help him now. Except wait. You might as well be comfortable; even though I don't know him, I'm sure he'd want you in out of the cold." 

Treize nodded slightly and, dazed, followed the girl inside.

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	2. The Consequences We Take

Day By Day:

The Consequences We Take

By: Madisonne

Part: 2/?

Warnings: Angst, injury

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does NOT belong to me... (Damn, damn, damn...) No infringement on the rights of the owners of said anime intended. Don't sue me, suing isn't nice. As for the fic, don't steal it! Review and I will love you forever! ;-D!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Dr. Clair Martin signed off on a procedure for a patient and sighed heavily.

"Long night?" An orderly asked.

"You know it... I've been here since six last night. I just got out of a gunshot case."

"Lucky you."

"Oh, of course. I've gotta find this guy's friend and let him know we're out of surgery..." She looked around the waiting room across the hall.

"The general?"

Dr. Martin double-checked her chart. "Yeah."

"That guy right there's the one you want." He pointed him out.

"Good god, he looks _terrible_!"

"He didn't sleep all night; that'll do it to you." He shrugged. "I got him to drink some coffee about an hour ago. Nice man. I hope you have good news for him."

Dr. Martin headed for the waiting room. "So do I..." She pushed open the door to the room. "General Khushrenada?"

The man rose to greet her. "How is he?"

"Please, sit." She pulled a chair next to his and sat down wearily. "I'm Dr. Clair Martin; I was the leading doctor on your friend's operation. Your friend is sleeping now; we've got him under some pretty strong stuff, so he's not in any pain."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Well, that depends. We were able to stop the bleeding and control most of the damage, but..."

"But _what_?!!" The man was verging on hysteria.

"A bullet severed his spinal cord. We were able to repair most of the damage, but he may never regain the ability to walk."

He turned completely white and sank back in his chair. "Wh-what are the odds?"

She looked distinctly uncomfortable. "The chances of his complete recovery are... About one in a hundred. I'm sorry, sir. We did all we could, but I think we need to be realistic here. People with his injuries have a one-percent chance of regaining full motion and flexibility and even with that we predict early-onset of arthritis and..."

He interrupted her. "How bad will he be?"

She picked at her nails. "We don't know. We'll just have to take it day by day. But it could still go either way."

"Either way?" The general looked utterly confused.

"He's stable right now, but he's extremely weak."

"Can I see him?"

She shook her head. "We can only allow family members in his part of the I.C.U."

He looked up at her. "I _am_ his family. Well, the closest thing he has..."

Something in his eyes softened her rulebook resolve. "I'd better not get in trouble for this." She sighed. "Follow me." She led him down the hall and through the doors of the I.C.U., stopping in front of another set of double doors.

He looked at her quizzically when she handed him a surgeon's mask.

"It's for his protection, not yours."

He nodded, understanding, and slipped the mask on, pulling it secure. 

"Ready?"

He nodded again.

She ushered him into the room and headed directly for the patient. She checked over the machines and brushed her hand over his cheek. "He's looking better."

He backed up against a cabinet, biting his nails, a nervous habit he fully intended to break. Some other time... "He's so _pale_..."

Dr. Martin looked up. "He lost a lot of blood. He'll perk up in a couple of days."

He headed over to the cot. "They didn't want him." His voice was laden with sadness and regret. 

"What?"

"_I_ was the target..." He shook his head in disbelief.

"You can't blame yourself for this." She tried to console him.

"Can I touch him?" He asked hesitantly.

She nodded in response and watched as he carefully took her patient's hand in his own. 

"He's too young. He doesn't deserve this. I should be the one..."

"No, you shouldn't. Yes, it's sad that he's hurt but you can't blame yourself. I'm sure that's not what he would want."

He sighed. "No."

A buzzer went off and the machines started to beep loudly and frantically.

"What's that?" He asked, concern clear in his voice.

The doctor grabbed a pair of surgical gloves and began pulling out instruments. Four other people joined her actions, all dressed in surgical gowns and typical doctor/nurse paraphernalia. 

"What's happening?" His voice was tinged with worry and hysteria. 

"Dr. Darwill, please escort the general out of the room." Dr. Martin requested as she began preparations to shock the patient. 

He was pulled out of the room by a doctor and told to wait outside, then left alone as the doctor retreated back into the operating room. 

Nearly an hour later, his patience was close to running out when Dr. Martin walked tiredly out of the room and smiled softly at him. "How is he?" He demanded.

"He's okay."

"What happened?"

She pushed him into a chair, making him sit still. "He reacted adversely to some of the drugs we put him on, but we were able to stop his body from turning on itself."

"Is he going to be okay?" He asked, worriedly.

She sighed heavily. "A great deal of that depends on him. If he's willing to fight, I predict he will be just fine. But you must remember that he's been through a lot and his body might be too tired to struggle anymore." She bit her lip. "Look, I'm going to go home and take a shower, eat, and get some rest. I suggest you do the same." She smiled at him and walked out of the I.C.U.

Treize simply sat there, in shock. 

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Sorry it took me so infernally long to get this up! I just had a bad couple of weeks as far as work went, but with school almost over, you can look for more Mad-chan insanity twice as frequently! And, if you want me to continue this, pleeeeease review! And, I will be indebted to suggestions for a title for this monster! :-D!


	3. Safe and Sound Optional Chapter

Safe and Sound (Optional Chapter):

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

Author: Madisonne

Part: Optional Chapter

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... "Safe and Sound" belongs to Sheryl Crow.

Notes: THIS IS AN OPTIONAL CHAPTER!!! Yes, it is a song-fic. If that does not float your boat, your fic experience will not be any different if you skip this installment! I just thought this song went really well with the plot and things...

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// Maybe this is forever

Forever fades away

Like a rocket ascending into space //

He pulled up a chair next to the hospital gurney, gingerly sitting. A song echoed through his memory, one he hadn't heard in entirely too long. After all, the patient in front of him had the only known copy of the song in existence and _wasn't_ fond of sharing the prize. 

Slowly, softly, he began to sing along with the tune in his head.

// Could you not be sad

Could you not break down

After all I won't let go //

Taking the unconscious patient's hand into his own, he continued.

// Until you're safe and sound

Until you're safe and sound

There's beauty in release

There's no one left to please

But you and me //

He choked down a sob. 'God, please let him be alright.' He shook his head. 'I've never been religious, but, who... Ah, _what_ever's out there, please, _please_ let him be alright...'

// I don't blame you for quitting

I know you really try

If you could just hold on 

Through the night

I don't want to be lonely

I don't want to be scared

All our friends are waiting there //

He could feel himself slowly falling asleep, relaxing his body so that he leaned his arms on the cot of the youth to whom he was singing.

// Until you're safe and sound

Until you're safe and sound

There's beauty in release

There's no one left to please

But you and me //

As he reached the last verse he slid slowly into sleep and was never quite sure at which point he stopped singing and started dreaming.

// Feel like I could've held on

Feel like I could've let go

Feel like I could've helped you

Feel like I could've changed you

Feel like I could've held you

Feel like I could've hurt you

Feel like I was a stranger

Feel like I was an angel

Feel like I was a hero

Feel like I was a zero

Feel like I could've loved you 

Feel like I could've loved you 

Feel like I could've loved you 

Feel like I could've loved you 

Feel like I really loved you

Feel like I could've loved you 

Feel like I could've loved you 

Feel like I could've loved you //

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	4. How Wonderful Life Was

Day By Day:

How Wonderful Life Was...

By: Madisonne

Part: 3/?

Warnings: Angst, injury

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does NOT belong to me... (Damn, damn, damn...) No infringement on the rights of the owners of said anime intended. Don't sue me, suing isn't nice. As for the fic, don't steal it! Review and I will love you forever! ;-D!

Notes: THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! Sparkles, Rogue11, Lancynth, Kit Kat Kitty Kat, and Cat are my angels are reviewing. Special thanks to Sparkles and Rogue11 for suggesting titles! You guys are great! :-D

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ is the beginning of a flash-back

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ is the end

Simple, ne? ;-)

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~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ 

He was working diligently on a speech when the secretary buzzed in on the vid-phone.

"Sir? Colonel Anderson is here to see you with the young Lieutenant. Shall I send him in?"

"Quite well; yes, send them in, please."

The colonel in question stormed in with the lieutenant in question in firmly in tow by the arm.

"Yes?" Treize looked up at them.

"Do you have _any_ idea what this good-for-nothing ragamuffin has done?" The colonel snapped in a distinctly British accent.

Treize shook his head slowly. "No, I'm afraid not."

"He has managed to smuggle _all_ of my imported tea to an undisclosed location simply to spite me!"

"Has he, now?" He arched one eyebrow. "Well, he will be punished duly and the contraband in question returned. Dismissed! Not you, Merquise."

They both waited until the door clicked shut behind the colonel before breaking into hysterical laughter, Zechs falling into a side-chair.

"Jesus... You know, one day, I won't be able to cover your ass and you'll _really_ be in hot water!"

He looked up with a familiar glint in his eye. "But it's worth it." He grinned sardonically. "Guess how many pairs of princess boxers the colonel has?"

"Zechs, you _didn't_!" The general mock-scolded.

"He should find them right about..." He looked down at his watch. "Now."

A horrified shriek echoed through the complex.

"Better press on. My exit music, please?" Zechs jumped out of the window mere seconds before the colonel burst into the room.

"Where is the thrice-damned, bloody bastard?!! I'll rip his damned lungs out!" The British man's words followed the new lieutenant out the window.

"Is there a problem, Colonel?" Treize asked calmly.

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ 

"Ma'am? Excuse me, ma'am?" The orderly called out after the uniformed woman. "You can't go in there."

She sighed, annoyed, and flashed a badge for the orderly's inspection.

The man turned white. "Pardon me, ma'am. Please, go right in."

She went through the double doors leading to the I.C.U.. Her search was quite short-lived. The man in the dishevelled army uniform who looked half-dead sitting slumped on the floor in front of a high-protection op-room was rather easily spotted. "General?"

The man's head snapped up off of his arms. "Yes?" His worried gaze softened. "Lady Une." He pushed himself to a standing position with the aid of the puce-coloured hospital wall behind him.

"With all due respect, sir, you look like hell." 

He smiled grimly. "I assume this is not a social call."

"No. With your absence for the past five days, the compound is falling to pieces."

"Where's the interim I appointed?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

She bit her lip and pointed towards the op-room. "In there."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I officially appoint you as officer-in-chief until my return."

"I brought you a change of clothes." She pushed a bag into his hands. "Sleep sometime." She walked out of the I.C.U. briskly.

He snorted sarcastically, slumped back down on the floor, and fell back into a half-dream state.

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ 

"Are you sure about this?"

"Why? Are you scared?" His voice mocked the other slightly. 

"No, I'm just not sure this is prudent."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, loosen up a little. I told you that uniform would begin going to your head. Besides, how are we going to get into trouble? You're the highest-ranking officer in the complex!"

"Zechs, your logic sometimes..." He half-grouched.

"You're just getting old. Come on, the wax has just dried. Now's the peak skating time!"

Shaking his head, Treize took off his boots, leaving himself in socks, and walked after his subordinate. "You're sure this works, right?"

Zechs stopped calculating the best way to build up speed and answered. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Did it all the time... Before..."

Treize could see that his question was opening up old wounds and didn't press the issue further.

"Alright, ready? Just follow me!" Zechs pushed off a wall, ran a few steps, then slid on his socks for more than fifteen feet. 

Treize shook his head, laughing slightly, then took off after the younger man.

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ 

"General?"

He jumped violently and pulled a gun on the unsuspecting doctor.

"Uhm, sir?"

His brain clicking on, he realized he had his gun trained on an innocent civilian. "Oh, sorry..." He tucked his gun into his shirt carefully.

"General, we're ready to move the Lieutenant to a private room downstairs, as requested." Dr. Martin calmly explained.

"Huh? Oh... Sure." He struggled to his feet with the help of the doctor. "Is he stable enough to make the switch?"

"See for yourself." She smiled slightly. "He woke up a couple of minutes ago, but he's not responding to us. That could be because he can't hear us or because he just doesn't want to interact with us."

"No, he was always a people-person of sorts. He loved talking with people, just seeing what was on their minds..." Realizing he was babbling, he pulled on an offered surgical mask and went into the room.

She watched the general step up to the cot and take the hand of her patient for the second time in the few days past. 

"Zechs? Can you hear me?" Treize asked quietly. 

Silence.

He sighed, slightly disappointed. "Zechs?"

She couldn't think of anything to say to the man, so obviously confused.

"Doctor, he glanced over at me for a second. Does that mean anything?" Treize asked, clear in his voice that he was reaching for some glimmer of hope.

"I don't know." 

He turned back around to his friend. "Is he going to be okay."

"I don't know."

He sighed heavily, then stepped back from the cot. "You should take him downstairs now."

The doctor enlisted the help of two near-by orderlies and wheeled the Lieutenant out of the room, leaving Treize alone, looking incredibly lost and lonely.

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	5. The Awakening

Day By Day:

The Awakening

By: Madisonne

Part: 4/?

Warnings: Angst, injury, reference to previous abuse

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does NOT belong to me... (Damn, damn, damn...) No infringement on the rights of the owners of said anime intended. Don't sue me, suing isn't nice. As for the fic, don't steal it! Review and I will love you forever! ;-D!

Notes: THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! Skippys cat, Sparkles, Rogue11, Lancynth, Kit Kat Kitty Kat, and Cat are my angels are reviewing. Special thanks to Sparkles and Rogue11 for suggesting titles! You guys are great! :-D

: I apologize for the title. It's one in the morning, and I didn't sleep last night. :-D! 

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"Here. Eat this."

He jumped as he realized that he was no longer alone in the room. "Oh..." He accepted the box of Chinese take-out the doctor handed him. "Thanks."

"You need to eat." Dr. Martin admonished. "_And_ you need to go home and sleep."

"I'm not leaving..."

"... Unless he goes with you. Yes, yes; I know..." She sighed heavily, clearly exasperated with the man.

Treize jumped again as the doctor's beeper went off loudly.

She looked down at the message on the tiny machine. "Hmmm..." She whipped out her cell-phone and punched in a number. "Martin here. Mm-hmmm... What's his stat? He's _what_?!! Really... Well, _that's_ interesting... Well, I'll be there in a minute." The doctor clicked the phone off. "He's having hallucinations. I suggest you go down there with me."

Before she had even finished talking, Treize was headed out of the room and down the stairs at a frantic pace that scared the wits out of no few patients and staff. Once reaching the bottom stair, he had to wait for the doctor to show him the way to Zech's room. 

Dr. Martin led him to a non-descript door down the hall and he pushed his way in to see the object of his query surrounded by hospital staff, looking as if in the throes of a grand-mal seizure. The total and utter anguish in his friend's voice tore at his heart with a pick of ice.

"Daddy... Who are they...? Where's mommy? Mommy Come back, please! Nooo! Mommy!" And then the crying and thrashing stopped.

Treize rushed over to the side of the cot. "Zechs, wake up! Please wake up... Please!" His voice was thick with desperation as he shook him by the shoulders.

All of the sudden, Zechs stiffened, causing the general to jump back.

"What do you want? No... Go 'way...! Please, no! Please leave me alone!" 

"Oh my god..." Treize turned entirely white and rushed out of the room. Once in the hall, he looked, panicked, from side to side, then sought out a trash-bin, emptying the little fluids he had in him into the recesses of the receptacle.

Dr. Martin as at his side in an instant, rubbing hesitant, yet soothing, circles on his back. "There, there, dear... It's alright..."

He shook his head furiously, coughing in the duration. 

"Yes, we _will_ work through this. He needs you now."

"Can't..."

"You _have_ to. You're going to have to be strong for him. He's going to need you there for him."

He slowly straightened and rubbed at his mouth with the edge of his sleeve. 

"They were just hallucinations." She said soothingly.

"No... Well, at least the first one wasn't... I'd heard rumours about the second, but he never spoke about it..."

"I find that in many cases where people come in here emotionally scarred, they talk about or even relive experiences they thought they'd buried deep within them. Sometimes the physical trauma here is too great and it leaves the patient easy prey to depression..." She tried to explain.

A nurse came out of the room. "Sorry, but he's calling for the general."

Treize's head shot up at that. Seeing Dr. Martin's nod, he stiffly walked to and through the door. 

"Where's Treize? He should be here by now..."

It was evident that the patient was still in a dream-like world all of his own, but, fortunately, he had stopped kicking and squirming like one possessed.

Treize sat on the edge of the cot and brushed back the silvery strands of hair that had spilled across his best friend's face. He clasped the unresponsive hand tightly in his own, as if to a lifeline of hope. "It's okay, Zechs. I'm right here." 

"Please, go find him..."

Treize sighed as it was obvious the young man wasn't - or couldn't - hear him. "Could you all give us a minute?" He asked the staff that was waiting expectantly for Zechs to seize again. 

Dr. Martin shooed the crowd out, much to their dismay. 

Once he was sure that the last person was out and the door firmly shut, he spoke again. "Come on Milliardo, it's alright. I'm right here, Miri. I'm not going anywhere. Wake up, please. Oh god, please wake up!" He pled shamelessly with the dreaming lieutenant. 

Zechs drew one heavy breath, then opened his eyes. For the first time in what felt like one hundred years, the piercing orbs focused on the general. 

"Thank god..." Was all that Treize could say. "Thank god."

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	6. A Lifetime of Apologies

Day By Day:

A Lifetime of Apologies

By: Madisonne

Part: 5/?

Warnings: Angst, injury, Treize loses his temper (it's scary, trust me...)

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does NOT belong to me... (Damn, damn, damn...) No infringement on the rights of the owners of said anime intended. Don't sue me, suing isn't nice. As for the fic, don't steal it! Review and I will love you forever! ;-D!

Notes: THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! Sparkles, Rogue11, Lancynth, Kit Kat Kitty Kat, Skippys Cat, Sijie, and Cat (in random order) are my angels of reviewing. Special thanks to Sparkles and Rogue11 for suggesting titles! You guys are great! :-D

: Cheesy title again, I know... I'm sorry! It's TWO am this time! ;-)!

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ is the beginning of a flash-back

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ is the end

Simple, ne? ;-)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The patient's eyes belied utter confusion and no little pain.

Treize called over his shoulder. "Dr. Martin!"

The door popped open as the woman burst in nervously. "Yes?"

"He's awake!" His excitement was clear in his voice. "Isn't that a good sign?"

"Hmmm..." She checked over the machines and flashed a light in her patient's eyes, smiling when he flinched in response. "Zechs, are you listening to me? I'm going to give you something for the pain." She injected a syringe full of clear liquid into the plastic tubing that led directly into one pale white arm of her patient. 

He made a face at the cold liquid seeping into his veins.

"Is it hurting him?" Treize asked, worriedly.

"No, it's just uncomfortable at first." She answered.

He turned back to his friend. "I'm so sorry, Zechs... Tell me you're alright... Please...?"

Zechs tried to speak, but nothing came out and he winced at the effort.

"Why isn't he responding?" He asked the doctor, hysteria rising in his usually calm voice.

She gave him a look. "He's had a respirator shoved down his throat for the past three days. His throat is bound to be just a _bit_ sore after all that." Seeing the forlorn expression on the general's face, her attitude softened. "I have a few other patients to check up on. I'll be back in an hour."

Treize turned back to the patient and sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry... Please forgive me! If I had had any idea..."

Zechs just looked at him, an almost incredulous look on his face.

"I know, I know..." He looked down at the unnaturally pale hand in his own. "I wish I were the one lying on that cot..."

Zechs rolled his eyes, then turned away. Minutes later, he was fast asleep.

Treize followed suit shortly thereafter.

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ 

"Where are you taking me?" He asked the younger child, who was leading hi through his father's summer mansion and out into the garden.

"You'll see." The boy pushed back a lock of silvery-blonde hair and continued to a destination known only to him.

The new soldier sighed. He _really_ didn't have time for this. He did, after all, have a class that afternoon. He'd given in to the child just to shut him up; the boy was stunningly persistent and wouldn't give up once he got an idea in his head.

"Here we are!" The boy plopped down on a bench, pulling his friend down to sit beside him. 

"The rose garden, Miri? What's so special about roses?"

"They're beautiful. While they are very strong and have sharp prickers, they also are delicate and lovely. See?" He picked a rose and handed it to his friend. "Each colour has a meaning, too. Yellow is for friendship."

Treize looked down at the flower in his hand and they were silent for a few minutes. "You're right."

"Hmmm?"

"It _is_ quite soothing down here. I never knew..."

"You're always too busy. You never play with me any more." He pouted like the young child he was. 

"Oh, Miri... I'm sorry. But you know how it goes; I'm just so..."

"Busy." He finished. "I know, I know..."

Treize's beeper went off, and, for the first time in his young life, he ignored it.

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ 

Dr. Martin finished explaining a procedure to a young wife, then looked down at her watch. "Think about it for a while. I'll be back, but if you need me, just ask an orderly and they'll fetch me."

"Thank you, doctor."

She smiled at the woman and walked out of the room. Going down the hall, she entered the lieutenant's room. A smile grew on her face as she saw that both the general and the lieutenant had fallen asleep, their hands clasped tightly together, the general kneeling beside the cot. "Ahem... Might the lieutenant and I have a few words?"

The general nodded hesitantly, then stiffly left the room, closing the door behind himself. He leaned against the opposite wall, crossing his arms across his chest. After a few seconds, he realized that he was fidgeting. _He_ was fidgeting. The universally-renowned General Treize Khushrenada was _fidgeting_. Sighing heavily, he gave into the addicting repetitive motions of biting his nails.

"You should not begin such a bad habit, General." A female voice admonished, causing the man to jump.

"Lady Une. Is the compound falling to pieces already? I would have thought your leadership would be sufficient." Treize's voice dripped with sarcasm. 

"Actually, I came to ask how long we could expect you two to be out of the field. We need numbers, and we need them now." 

"I don't know."

She grew angry. "Damn you, you selfish bastard! We're in the middle of a war here, and as the officer-in-chief of the local complex, I need to know the status of _every_ soldier!"

Treize's anger grew to match and over-power his subordinate's. "Selfish, am I?!! Let's talk about selfish, you bloody witch. You see that door?" He pointed to the door leading to the lieutenant's room. "Zechs Merquise is in there, barely holding on to life, and the only thing you can think about is your self and how many men you can put between your ass and the Gundam pilots! Lady Une, I have great doubts about your leadership capabilities when you storm in here and demand a recovery window without even asking how the patient is doing! For all you know, the man could bloody well be _dead_ by now! I am sick of putting up with this crap from you, so grow a damned heart or get the hell out of my sight!"

The woman, who had been turning white from the time that Treize started yelling, turned on her heels and marched indignantly out of the hall.

'I shouldn't have lost my temper like that...' He admonished himself. 'But, damn, I have wanted to do that for years...'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	7. As the Tide Turns

Day By Day:

As the Tide Turns...

By: Madisonne

Part: 6/?

Warnings: Angst, injury

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does NOT belong to me... (Damn, damn, damn...) No infringement on the rights of the owners of said anime intended. Don't sue me, suing isn't nice. As for the fic, don't steal it! Review and I will love you forever! ;-D!

Notes: THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! Sparkles, Rogue11, Maria Khusrenada, Lancynth, Kit Kat Kitty Kat, Skippys Cat, Sijie, and Cat (in random order) are my angels of reviewing. Special thanks to Sparkles and Rogue11 for suggesting titles! You guys are great! :-D

: People have written in wondering about Treize's behaviour. Well, the way I see it is that Treize is a very dedicated worker, but he's also human with very human emotions and I think a lot of writers lose sight of that sometimes, I know I have a history of doing so! I just wanted to show a compassionate, caring side of Treize. Besides, when you nearly kill your best friend, you've got to be feeling just a _little _guilty! ;-)!

: Okay, I need you alls help. Leave the over-all title as it is ('Day By Day'), or turn it into 'The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise'

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ is the beginning of a flash-back

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ is the end

Simple, ne? ;-)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Dr. Martin sighed unhappily at the totally crushed expression on her patient's face. "I'm sorry... But you have to know the truth."

He thought about it for a second, then looked pointedly at the door.

"Oh, the general. He knows everything; he's been here from the start. I'd say he's pretty worried about you."

He turned his head, making it obvious that he didn't care to continue on that subject. His left hand twitched slightly, then Dr. Martin heard a small whimper.

"Don't cry; it'll be alright..." She rubbed his hand comfortingly. "Why don't I get the general?"

He nodded slightly.

The doctor left the room and motioned for the general. "I've just run down his prognosis with him, but I think he needs you right now..."

Treize nodded his understanding, and went into the room. The tears streaming down his friend's cheeks tore at his soul, prompting him to rush to the cot and clutch his hand in his own in a decisively protective manner.

Clearly seeing the question in his friend's eyes, Treize answered him reassuringly. "It'll be okay, I promise. We'll just take it day by day..."

He sniffed mournfully and closed his eyes, utterly exhausted. 

Treize smiled softly as the grip on his hand lightened as the lieutenant fell into a slumber capable of impressing the dead. He jumped violently as his cell-phone went off. Gathering his wits, he clicked it on. "Hello?"

"General?" A female voice answered.

"Who are you and how did you get this number? It's unlisted for a reason." He hissed under his breath. 

"It's Noin, sir. I'm sorry... I didn't want to bother you, but Lady Une was... Rather _less_ than helpful. I just wanted to see how Zechs was doing."

"Oh... Sorry. I'm actually in the room with him right now; he's sleeping. I think he's going to be alright."

There was a pause. "That didn't sound utterly convincing, if you'll pardon me, sir."

He sighed. "Look, why don't you meet me in the fifth floor visitor's room in three hours and I will fill you in on all the details; he should be awake by then. Oh, and Noin, bring all of the background information we have on him; it may come in handy."

"Yes, sir!"

"Good bye." He hung up the phone and settled in to wait for his friend to wake, becoming so comfortable that _he_ slowly drifted into sleep as well.

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ 

"Oh no. No _way_ are you getting me up there. That _thing_ does _not_ like me. And, frankly, I do _not_ like it either!"

"Oh, come on, Treize. It's not that big of a deal!" Zechs sighed impatiently. "I cannot believe you grew up never learning how to ride a horse!"

He crossed his arms defiantly. "I've been too busy doing more important things."

"For goodness sakes... You are the stuffiest person in the world! I don't know _why_ I put up with you!" Zechs mock-scolded. "Now get on the horse, or I'll tell everyone that you still use a night-light!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!" He glared at the ten-year-old. 

"Fine." He sighed, exacerbated. 

"Just put your foot on the stirrup and swing your leg over the side." He instructed.

With a minimum of difficulty, Treize managed to get up onto the horse behind his friend. 

"Now, hold on..."

"Wha...?" Treize was confused, but only for a second before Zechs kicked the horse lightly, and they were off at an alarmingly high speed down the pasture. 

"Not _that_ tight..." Zechs admonished.

"Oh..." He loosened his grip.

For a minute, all either one could hear was the pounding of the hooves on firm soil. 

Then, Zechs spoke up. "Now, isn't this more fun than sitting in some dark library with some boring book?"

"Maybe..." Treize hesitated. "I'll let you know once I'm down on the ground again."

He grinned evilly, then kicked the horse lightly again, causing the horse to dash forward into a gallop.

"I... Hate... You!!!"

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ 

Zechs awoke, for a minute disoriented; then, it all came back to him like a horrible dream. The shooting... The operations... The paralysis... 

He mentally slapped himself out of thinking such depressing thoughts.

'Someday, Zechs... You'll have to face it all. You can't hide from this for forever, you know...' A cynical voice inside his head cackled. 

'Oh yeah, watch me.' A light, happy voice replied.

'You can try, but you'll always know I'm here... And I'll be waiting...' The evil voice responded.

He sighed heavily and resigned himself to his two psyches battle.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	8. Pieces of A Puzzle

Pieces of A Puzzle

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

Author: Madisonne

Chapter:

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm...

Notes: Sorry it took _so_ unbelievably long for this chapter! I was on vacation and my computer was broken. :-(... But it's all fixed now! Thanks for your patience!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

He sighed and put his head in his hands. "Why didn't he tell me? I'm his best friend too..."

"You're also a guy."

"Point taken. Not liked, but taken..." He rubbed his eyes wearily.

"Tired?" She asked.

He nodded emphatically and sighed.

"Go back to the compound and get some sleep." She urged.

He shook his head sadly. "I can't... He needs me."

"He's going to form a dependency complex." She warned.

Treize snorted. "No, he's not."

She gave him a look. "Sure. Look, I need to get back because not _all_ of us can scare Lady Une into giving us days off." 

He wrinkled his nose. "Yes, well... Be that as it may... Thank you, Miss Noin."

She smiled. "Just keep me posted on... Him."

"_That_ I can do." He smiled back and stood for her exit. "Good day, miss."

She exited, leaving the general alone in the waiting room to collapse wearily into his chair. He could feel himself falling into slumber, but really didn't care enough to change the situation.

~~~ BEGIN ~~~

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did _not_!"

"Did _too_!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Di..."

"Would you two kindly _shut up_?!!" The tutor grumped.

They were quiet.

When the tutor turned his head, Treize stuck his tongue out at Zechs.

The tutor snapped back to look at Treize and Zechs stuck his tongue out at him in return.

This went on for several minutes before the tutor snapped. "You two are _impossible_!!!" He stormed out of the room.

"How many is this?" Treize asked.

"Twelve this month; a new record!" Zechs gave him a high-five.

They were silent for a moment.

"Did not."

"Did _too_!!!"

~~~ END ~~~

"General?" The woman spoke softly, to keep him from jumping in fright. 

"Yes? Oh, Dr. Martin. Is something wrong?"

"No, no..." She raised her hands soothingly. "He's just fine. That's why I'm here. I think he's ready to go into physical therapy tomorrow."

"Have you spoken to him about it?"

"No, I wanted to clear it with you first."

He thought about it for a second. "Honestly, what do _you_ think is going to happen?"

She sighed heavily. "I don't know. He's going to have to learn to do _everything_ again. The bullet that pierced his spinal cord just sort of jolted all his circuits. To put it in layman's terms, his entire body needs to be rewired and re-taught."  
"You mean he won't..."

"... Be able to do anything." She finished.

"I want to be there."

"Where?"

"The physical therapy sessions."

The doctor looked vaguely uncomfortable. "I don't think that's the best idea, sir. It's going to be rough."

"I'm a soldier, ma'am."

"Alright, alright... But don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Thank you, doctor." He smiled at the woman. "You won't regret this." He exited swiftly.

She sighed and flopped into a chair. "Yes, but _you_ might..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	9. Long Road to Recovery

Long Road to Recovery

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

Author: Madisonne

Chapter:

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm...

Notes: Sorry it took _so_ unbelievably long for this chapter! I was on vacation and my computer was broken. :-(... But it's all fixed now! Thanks for your patience!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

"Hello, Lieutenant... Merquise?" The young physical therapist doubted her pronunciation, checking over his chart.

"Hi." He rasped painfully.

"I'm Dr. Adriel; I'll be your physical therapist." She smiled kindly and walked over to stand beside his bed. "Okay," She pulled out a small tool and took his right hand in hers. "Can you feel this?" She gently pricked his palm. 

He winced.

"Good." She continued to his other hand, face, neck, and chest without any change. When she reached his toes, though, she found something rather disturbing. Nothing. That is, she pricked him and he didn't react at all. Trying again, the same thing. Nothing. "Hmmm..."

"What?"

She put away the pin and sat on the edge of the bed. "Zechs, you've lost all sensation in your lower body because of your injuries."

He sighed heavily and turned away. 

"Now, that's not an unchangeable problem; we're just going to have to work extra hard to get you well again. Are you willing to fight this with me?"

He nodded slowly. "Don't have much choice..."

"I'm going to set you up for a full-body massage this afternoon so you'll be relaxed for your first session of physical therapy. Sound okay?"

"... Will spoil me..."

The therapist laughed heartily. "It's good for you. I just pity the people who have to put up with you _ after _you get out of here."

He gave her a long-suffering look. "... Deserves it... 'Sgood for him."

"Oh, really? How so?"

He mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "Damn tight-ass bastard, just like his bloody father..."

"Mmhmmm..." She put her chart back in the slot at the end of the cot. "Well, _you_ need to sleep. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. Oh, and be sure to eat; you'll need lots of energy, m'kay?"

He nodded.

"That's an _order_, Lieutenant." She jested.

He nodded again, solemnly. 

She smiled at him and left the room, shutting the door after herself.

Treize reached out in that moment and caught her arm. "Something's not right with him."

Dr. Adriel cocked her head to the right.

"No witty repartee. I mean, I've known him since he was _three_, and he's _never_ let _any_ jibe at his expense go unanswered."

"He's going through a rough time right now. He'll perk up soon, especially after he starts rehabilitation."

He nodded. "It's tough... To see him like this, I mean."

"He was always the optimistic one, wasn't he?"

He nodded again, grimly.

"Well, it looks like you're going to become Little Miss Sunshine."

He snorted.

She sighed, slightly exasperated. "Look, behind that door is a _very_ ill man who's going to need an awful lot of care or else he'll roll out of here in a year's time zipped in a bag."

Treize sighed and flopped back against the wall. "Alright, alright... I get the picture."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Good afternoon, General."

He watched her move on to the next patient and banged his head against the wall. "What _have_ I gotten myself into?" He sighed again and pulled out his cell-phone. Quickly dialling, he waited only a moment before being connected "Hello? Yes, I'd like to purchase twenty dozen yellow roses..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	10. All That Comes in a Dozen

All That Comes in a Dozen:

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

Author: Madisonne

Chapter: 9/?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm...

Notes: Sorry it took _so_ unbelievably long for this chapter! Don't hate me! *Gives puppy-dog eyes*

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

"General?" Dr. Martin walked up to the pensive man.

He smiled wearily at the woman. "Hi."

"We've taken the lieutenant to his massage; why don't you go home and take a couple of hours off?"

He shook his head. "I _can't_. I need to be here for him."

"He won't even know you're gone. Now, I've taken the liberty of calling the local compound and they'll take you back to the base."

Treize sighed heavily. "I guess you're right."

The doctor smiled at her victory. "See you in a few."

* * * * * * * 

"Okay, one, two, three, lift." The orderly instructed as she and another orderly lifted their charge onto a rolling gurney. The woman pulled the charts and IV drip bags onto the gurney's hooks. "Alright, lieutenant, we're going to take you back up to your room now, okay?"

"Mmmph..."

"I'll take that as a yes. Good massage?"

"Mmmph..."

She smiled. "Good." She rolled the gurney onto the elevator and pushed it out and down the hall. Pushing the door open with her hip, she manoeuvred the gurney next to the cot. "Oh wow..." She looked in awe at the flowers all over the room. "Someone must _really_ want you to get well!"

He turned his head slightly to see the yellow roses. "Treize..."

"Ah, the General. I wonder where he got to?" Shrugging, she pushed the call button for assistance in changing her patient to the cot. 

With the newly arrived help, they transferred him to the cot and hung his IV onto the rack, checking the levels with carefully trained eyes. 

Zechs reached up with one shaky, blue-tinged hand and pulled a rose out of the arrangement, inspecting it carefully.

"Need anything else?" The orderly asked.

He shook his head, twisting the rose stem through his fingers slowly.

She smiled at him and left the room, closing the door behind herself.

He closed his eyes and winced as a ripple of pain passed through him, causing his hand to ball up painfully. Slowly, muscle by muscle, as the pain ebbed, his grip relaxed and he fell into a shallow, dream-riddled sleep. 

* * * * * * * 

Treize Khushrenada was mortified. He had honestly meant to take only a fifteen-minute nap, but the Satan-fiend from hell had captured him in its vile claws of doom. In other words, once his body realized that he was _not_ sleeping in a chair, but, in fact, in a very comfortable bed, it rebelled against his intentions for a short rest and caused him to slumber, unaware of the time, for twelve hours. 

Frantically, the general took a speed-shower and threw clothes onto his barely dry self. Running a brush through his hair, he dashed out of his room and down to the car he'd had brought over for him.

* * * * * * * 

General Khushrenada settled down on a bench in the observation deck next to the physical therapy ward. Through the false, one-way mirror, he could see the doctor and the young lieutenant already deep in conversation. Reminiscing on the doctor's words, he prayed that he would _not_ regret this.

* * * * * * * 

"Now, you're going to have to tell me if anything I do hurts you, okay?" The therapist warned him and smiled when he nodded. "Let's just stretch out your limbs for a bit; you've been laid out for quite some time now." She picked up his left arm and bent it at the elbow gently. Shifting her hands, she pushed the elbow towards the ceiling. Completely dropping her grasp, his arm fell back to the bed. "Okay?"

He nodded.

"Good." She repeated the treatment on the right arm, moving slowly to prevent muscle strain. "Your upper body strength looks alright; I think you just need to stretch out your arms and you'll be as good as new." Giving him an encouraging smile, she jotted down a few notes in his chart. "Okay, let's see how your abdominals are doing, shall we?" She moved a little farther down the cot. "I'm going to hold my hand out and I want you to reach out and touch it with whichever hand I tell you to. Again, if _any_ of this hurts, just tell me and we'll alter the exercise so it doesn't."

He nodded again.

Raising her hand straight-out in front of her patient, she spoke again. "Either hand."

Moving slowly, as a creature after a long nap, he sat up with both arms out and touched her hand with his left. 

"Good."

He sighed and settled back down on the cot. 

Moving her hand to the right, she called out, "Left hand."

He obliged.

She smiled and moved her hand to his left side. "Right hand."

He had a little difficulty, but touched her hand in a satisfactory amount of time. "Good job!" She encouraged as she took out his chart again and pencilled in a sentence. 

* * * * * * * 

Treize had made it back to Zechs' room before the nurse and the lieutenant had and sat at the edge of a chair facing the empty cot. It was rather spooky, when he thought on it and he had to shake his head swiftly to clear the thought that the space could be empty for another, more dark reason. 

He was rather pleased with the roses the local florist had delivered and hoped that the young man remembered their significance. 

Growing slightly bored, he scowled at the drip bag next to the cot, noticing the gauge read '12 mm'. Treize hated hospitals. He hadn't before, but now that this one had stolen the laughter of his best friend, he hated them more than anything in the world and couldn't wait until Zechs was well enough to be taken home. 

He wiped his angry expression off of his face when he saw the cot come through the door with his friend securely on it. Now was not the time for brooding, he had a job to do. Find the Zechs Merquise he used to know. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Notes: Pointless, I know... I'm sorry! So, what do _you_ think should happen? Hmmm? *Crickets chirp* Oh, come on! _Someone's_ got to be reading this! ;-)


	11. Turning

Turning

Author: Madisonne

Part: 11/?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst

Notes: Oh wow... I had no idea anyone would like this, much less _read_ it! I feel special!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

In the first three weeks of Zechs' physical therapy regimen, he made slow, but encouraging, progress. Then, on a blustery autumn day, he looked tired.

* * * * * * * 

"You can do this, Zechs. It's only ten feet and I'm right here for you." She bobbed up and down in the therapy pool.

He shook his head wearily, wet blonde hair slapping and sticking to the side of his face. "I can't..."

"Come on, you _can_ do it!" She encouraged with a patience admirable in any person.

"No, I can't." Sinking a little further into the water, he refused to move. 

Dr. Adriel sighed lightly, not loud enough for her patient to hear. "Come on, Zechs, it's just like before." 

He tiredly pushed off of the wall and began using the small strokes his limited range of motion would allow. 

From behind the one-way mirror, Treize watched with a heavy heart, silvery tears edging their way into his eyes with sympathy for the lieutenant in the water. Seeing the young man giving up and nearly slipping under served only to remind him of how much his friend had lost. Tears rolling down his face, he turned violently away from the mirror and quickly exited the observation deck, blind to the worried and bewildered glances of the students and teachers taking notes on the patients outside. 

After an hour of walking his anxiety out, Treize felt much better and scrubbed at his wet face in an attempt to regain some semblance of presentability. His angered and pensive walk had taken him around the hospital twice and up to Zechs' room. 

He knocked on the door and opened it, letting himself into the small room. Zechs was lying, presumably asleep, on the cot, his long hair still wet from the pool. Because the man was still not accustomed to eating much and had a tendency to throw up anything he did manage to get down, an IV drip line hung by his side, a needle in his left arm. A line was also in on his right arm, dripping from a bag of pain-killers. 

Drawing a chair up to the side of the bed, Treize smiled ironically at how many times they had been there, exactly like this. 

Zechs _was_ looking better. He was unbelievably thin, partially because he always _had_ been on the slender side, Treize not having noticed through the bulky uniforms, and partially because his muscles had atrophied and the only sustenense he received was from a tube. His face had regained some colour, but he seemed to be a permanent shade of off-white, blue veins somewhat visible around his eyes. The swelling around his arms seemed to die down after the doctors put in a semi-permanent line. 

Treize hadn't been able to stay in the room to see how the entrance and exit wounds of the bullets were healing when the doctors changed the dressings, but judging that small motions no longer caused red blossoms to appear on the ivory white bandages, he assumed they must be healing all right. 

It was times like this, where every breath seemed to be a struggle for the young man that the general was _truly_ aware of how weak his friend was. And it scared him; Zechs would need an unbelievable amount of tender love and care before _anyone_ would deem him able to work again. If he ever did. But that wasn't an idea that Treize allowed himself to entertain for long, it was too depressing.

Luckily, Dr. Adriel opened the door and disrupted his thoughts. "Sorry to disturb you, but I needed to talk to you."

The general turned around and smiled wearily at her. "Sure."

She pulled a chair next to his and sat down with a sigh. "First of all, I want you to know that I really do hope that your friend makes a one-hundred percent recovery."

"I think we all do."

She handed a folder to him. "I've been taken off of your friend's case."

"What?" 

"Because he's no longer an Ick-U patient, I'm not technically allowed to work with him." She sighed. "I want you to know that I went to the board to keep his care from being changed, but they believe it's in the hospital's best interest if I use the time he takes on more... Critical patients."

"More _critical_ patients?" Treize's voice was more disbelieving than angry. "He can barely _move_!"

"I know that." She said placatingly. "But the board has officially handed over his care to Dr. Adams."

"Is he good?"

She hesitated. "All of our doctors in this hospital are professionals."

"But, would _you_ want to be under his care."

She sighed and gave a small smile. "Here's my number. Just in case..." She jotted down a beeper number. "Anytime, day or night." She patted his arm and left the room, leaving the general to worry at his bottom lip and stare at the wall. 'Good luck...' 


	12. Ever Changing Tides

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise:

Ever-Changing Tides

By: Madisonne

Part: 12/?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: Thank Rogue11 for this chapter; she walked me step-by-step through fixing my computer! Yay! Thank you! :-D

Technicalities:

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ is the beginning of a flash-back

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ is the end

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

He watched in silence as Zechs struggled to regain consciousness. Pure ice pools opened, a small crease forming between blonde brows. His breath caught, then sped to hyperventilation rates.

Treize sat on the edge of the bed and enveloped the cold, pale hand in his own. "It's okay, Miri, I'm here..."

Slowly, the young man calmed, his breath relaxing to a more normal speed. "General?"

He nodded.

"It's cold." His sad voice intoned.

"I'm sorry." He replied, unsure of what he was supposed to say. "Are you in pain?"

Zechs gave him a glance, completely devoid of emotion.

"You should know that your doctor has been removed from your case. The new one's Doctor Adams."

He nodded weakly.

"Tired?"

"Yes." He answered quietly and simply.

"Rest, then." He gently patted his hand. "I'll be here for you."

Zechs gave a half-smile and closed his eyes.

As days of watching wore on Treize, he fell into slumber beside the ace pilot.

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ 

"To begin the lecture, I would like to out-line what we expect from you in this organisation. You must follow the SOP book at all times, which you'll find a copy of on your bunk." He flinched as he felt something hit his left arm. Shaking the feeling off, he continued. "There will be no fighting among the troops. Any persons caught fighting will be dealt with by a committee of personnel and they're not the most lenient people in the world." He felt another pelt on his stomach. Giving the stage around him a quick glance, he spotted the two M&M's, identifying the arsenal, but not the culprit. "There is very little..." He was cut off by an M&M to the centre of his forehead. One hard look at the crowd, and he knew _exactly_ who it was. "Everyone out."

The young cadets got over their shock and began to leave.

"Except... You, Lieutenant Merquise."

The blonde who'd been lounging in the back just gave a half-smile to all who passed. "Yes?" He asked, giving an innocent grin.

Treize waited until the room was empty before he spoke. "M&M's, Merquise? _Very_ mature."

He shrugged and ate two of the candies. "_I_ found it quite amusing."

"You're incorrigible." He sighed and stepped off of the stage.

"You've just got a stick up your..."

"Zechs..."

"Nose." He smiled charmingly.

Treize just shook his head and sighed.

"You must have been truly awful in a past life to get stuck with someone like me." He noted nonchalantly, seeking out a blue M&M. "Yup, perfectly horrendous." He found his missile and launched it into the air, towards the general.

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ 

Treize woke with a start when the door opened. 

A tall, thin man entered, promptly frowning. "General Khushrenada?"

He nodded.

"Now that Lieutenant Merquise is under _my_ care, I will have to ask that you maintain a respect for the clearly posted hospital visiting hours. If you'll excuse us, the lieutenant and I need to get started on his therapy.

"Now? But he only just fell asleep!" Treize was almost indignant as he spoke.

"Be that as it may, he simply cannot stay in that bed and sleep for as long as he wishes." The man said, quite succinctly.

"But he's _ill_!" 

"Once you become a doctor, _you_ can decide what's best. But, seeing as I'm his doctor and you're not, I'd step out of the way." Doctor Adams almost threatened.

Treize eventually backed down, but he knew, then and there, that he did _not_ like this man. He _definitely_ did not like the man one bit.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	13. Just Fly Away

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise:

Just Fly Away

By: Madisonne

Part: 13/?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: Sorry it took me so long and that it's so short!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Treize sat in the hospital room, tapping his foot impatiently. Not only had the new doctor barred him from entering before ten in the morning, the man had then whisked Zechs away before he could even say 'hello'.

Something about that man rubbed him the wrong way entirely...

At six in the afternoon, Zechs was brought in on a wheel-chair. Treize was shocked at how gaunt and tired he looked, even more so than perhaps before. His face was white and his hair hung limply down his shoulders. 

"Zechs?"

The blonde looked up at him wearily and gave him a small, weak smile. "Hey..."

He frowned. "Are you okay?"

He shrugged jerkily. "'Sokay." At first, he tried to move himself from the wheel-chair to the cot but found his arms weak and unable to support himself.

After his first attempt, an orderly quickly and efficiently manoeuvred him to the cot and re-hung the IV drip. His tasks fulfilled, he scooted out of the room.

"God Zechs, I hate to say it, but... You look like..."

"Shit." Zechs finished and sighed. "I know, I know..." The past week had been almost a blur to him, one painful therapy session after another. He lifted his arm, attempting to push back errant strands of hair, but the limb fell, weakly, to his side as he sighed in defeat. 

Treize was, quiet honestly, horrified. If possible, the young man looked worse now than when he first entered the ward.

Their tense conversation was interrupted by Doctor Adams' arrival. "Lieutenant, General." He greeted them both, barely politely. "If you'll excuse us, general, the lieutenant has three more hours of training left today."

"What?!!" Treize nearly screamed. "Why _now_?!! Can't you see that he's utterly _exhausted_?"

The doctor snapped back, "He has to do _something _around here, other than sitting around like a lazy slob!"

"He's damned worn out! Any _real_ doctor would _know_ that! He can barely stay awake, for Christ's sake!!!"

Doctor Adams snorted. "Well, that's hardly my problem, now, is it? I expect to find the lieutenant ready to work in five minutes." He spun on his heels and left the room.

At first, Treize was shell-shocked, totally unsure of what to do. Then, surprise turned to anger and white-hot, blind rage. 

He quickly unhooked the IV and thrust it into Zechs' hands. "Hold it above the catheter." Then, he scooped him p and stormed off down the hall.

They'd only gotten about twenty feet before an orderly stopped them. "Sir, you just can't walk of with one of the patients."

Treize set the blonde down, keeping one arm firmly around him and pulled a gun on the orderly. Needless to say, no one else tried to stop the pair as the went down the hall, into the lift, and out of the front door, while Zechs grumbled about the indignity of it all.

The general, however, ignored everyone, even the patient, and calmly flagged down a cab once they were outside.

He, with the aid of the driver, slid Zechs into the car and seat-belted him. As Treize settled in, he mentioned the address of an off-base apartment complex. "Can you get us there?"

The man nodded and they sped off, away from the hospital.

"Treize..."

He shot Zechs a look. "Don't even _start _with me, young man."

"But..."

"I don't' want to hear it."

"But I'm going to throw up!" He groaned.

The cab driver over-heard and immediately pulled over to the side of the road.

Treize pulled the other passenger out of the car and collapsed onto the ground with him. As Zechs threw up, he was at a loss as to how to help the younger soldier. He ended up simply holding the long blonde hair back and making sure Zechs didn't fall over completely. 

Zechs swiped his mouth with his arm, careful not to upset his IV and hobbled to the car with much assistance.

Once both passengers were securely settled in their seats again, the car swerved back into traffic. 

Only minutes later, Zechs started to shake.

He frowned, checking the IV. Luckily, the young man had almost three-quarters of a bag left. When the tremors didn't cease, he pulled off his jacket and swathed the patient in the warm wool and wrapped his arms firmly around him. 

For that one moment only, Treize wondered if he'd done the right thing. 'Please let him be alright...'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	14. Just Fly Away, Continued

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise:

Just Fly Away (Continued)

By: Madisonne

Part: 14 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: None

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

After he tipped the cab driver quite generously, the man was quite happy to help him manoeuvre the patient into the building. Once they reached the security check, the driver left them and Treize ventured on into the residence hall.

Now inside, he took a moment to get his bearings back, then set off for the lift. On the third floor, he hunted down the door he had never visited hoping against hope that his memory was as good as he supposed it was.

Treize wrapped an arm around the lieutenant's waist and knocked with his free hand. 

"Who is it?"

"It's Merquise, he..."

"Zechs?!! What the _hell_ are you doing out of the hos..." She jerked open the door, but stopped speaking when she saw the unconscious young man Treize was supporting. In slightly stunned silence, she shooed them inside the apartment and tossed a few papers on the ground from their scattered state on the couch and helped Treize ease the patient onto the cushion. "What is he doing _here_?"

Treize sighed. "The doctor was... Less than helpful. He was getting worse, not better."

"But, here?!! Are you sure that's the best idea? There _are_ other hospitals..."

He shook his head emphatically. "I won't risk him being treated like that again." Frowning a bit, he continued. "Unless you _mind_..."

"No, no, not at all. I mean, you can't go back to your quarters, that's the first place they'd look for him..." By her unnaturally white complexion, the general could tell she still hadn't gotten over the shock of having the patient show up on her door-step. "Do you know of another doctor...?"

"I was just going to call Doctor Wertmer, he's been the family doctor for years." Treize spoke even as he pulled open his comm-unit.

While the general was on the phone, Noin tried to calm down. 'I'm amazed he made it this far... I don't think he's ever been here before.' Her gaze turned to the young man on the couch and she frowned, noting that the young man did indeed look like he'd regressed since she'd last seen him; he'd definitely lost weight - not that he had much to lose to begin with - and his skin was an eerie off-white, bluish colour.

"He'll be here in a few minutes." Treize spoke, ending the call. "It's lucky he still lives here."

"He's so... Ill..." She said, lacking the words into which she could pour the disdain she felt for the hospital and for the situation in general. "He looks so much in pain."

"I know." He responded simply, gently rearranging the patient's limbs and IV drip to a presumably more comfortable arrangement. 

She was quite uncomfortable with the almost fatal silence in the room. "Have you eaten?"

Treize was slightly taken aback at the question, not anticipating it in the slightest. "I don't remember..."

"When was the last time you remember eating?" She was already turning to "nurture" mode, needing something to pamper to get her mind off of... Things.

He shrugged.

"Pasta okay?"

He shrugged again and gave a weak smile that barely reached his mouth, much less his eyes.

She was grateful to escape that suffocatingly silent room and into the kitchen, where she felt at least some semblance of normalcy.

Only ten minutes or so passed before the aging doctor found his way into the apartment, immediately going to the patient on the couch and checking his vitals.

Noin stopped cooking and stood in the doorway, eager to hear what the man would say about the lieutenant passed out on her furniture. 'Please let him be okay...'

Treize, as it happened, was thinking much the same, only less politely. 'If he's not okay, I swear that _bastard _of a doctor...' His train of thought splintered off when the doctor stood up from his perch next to the patient.

"He's okay, just unconscious." He sighed and rubbed wrinkled hands together. "However, young Khushrenada, I'm sure I don't need to tell you I'm not quite pleased that you took him out of the hospital."

"I _had_ to..."

A long look from those aged eyes into the young ones so familiar to him let him know all that he needed. "Just take care of him, okay? I'll have some IV's sent up once I leave, but for now, you just need to make sure he's breathing okay and everything. I'll come back tomorrow morning and do some basic physical therapy with him, but you're going to have to hire a real therapist soon - I'm not trained to properly give him anything but the basics."

Treize nodded. "Thank you."

The old man smiled at him. "Anything for my favourite Khushrenada. Just make sure you eat, okay? And get some sleep?"

The general laughed lightly and shook his head. "You always worried too much."

Noin spoke up. "Hell, _I'd_ be worried, Mr. I-don't-need-to-eat-or-sleep-until-Zechs-is-better."

Doctor Wertmer gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Well, if he doesn't behave himself, you have every right to spank him like the disobedient young man he is."

She laughed and blushed lightly at the instructions. "We'll see about _that_, sir."

As he let the doctor out of the room, Treize tried to press a wad of credits into the man's hand, but he smiled and refused the money. "Just help him, he's good for you, after all." And, with that, he left the apartment.

Treize sighed heavily and returned to the chair he'd pulled up beside Zechs.

"He's right, you know." She commented lightly.

"About what?"

"You _don't_ eat _or_ sleep enough. And he _is_ good for you."

He frowned at the first, but replied. "So I've been told." Glancing back at the lieutenant, he was reminded of his obligation. "I need to call Doctor Martin... _And_ Doctor Adriel."

She nodded and turned back to the kitchen, determined to do all she could to help the lieutenant, even if the only thing she was _able _to do was make sure the general stopped trying to subsist on water and coffee alone. One last glance over her shoulder caused a smile to grow on her face.

Treize had taken Zechs' hand into his own and was watching the other breathe intently, as if his own life depended on it.

She turned back to her cooking. 'I wonder if they know...'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	15. Caring for the Little Brat

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise:

Caring for the Little Brat

By: Madisonne

Part: 14 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: 

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ signifies the beginning of a flash-back

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ signifies the end

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~

He was ticked. Very _very_ ticked. 'Of course, it _was_ sort of funny...' He mentally slapped himself. 'If I don't keep myself angry, I'll _never_ be able to yell at him and he'll do it again, the little brat.' His half-amused smiled belied the fact that he didn't really consider the soldier a brat.

He ran into the boy mere seconds later, noting that the blonde looked the picture of innocence. "Merquise, would you mind explaining precisely _why_ there are about a hundred ducklings in the conference room?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir." He replied, for all the world sounding like heaven's purest angel; there wasn't even a hint of a smile on his face.

"_Really_? I find _that_ hard to believe, somehow." He responded.

Zechs rose his hands placating. "Where would _I_ find that many ducklings?"

"In the science lab, to which I very distinctly remember giving you access while you worked on the human-machine communications project."

Zechs paused a moment, looked into Treize's eyes, and then set off at a run down the hall, the elder in close pursuit.

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~

"Here."

Treize was pulled back from his reverie by that one words and a plate with steaming pasta and vegetables being handed to him. "Thanks."

She nodded. "You'd better eat; you don't look so well."

"Mmm..." He poked at the vegetables. "What are these?"

She peeked over his shoulder. "Pine nuts."

"Hmm, why are they _pink_?"

"Sir?"

"Pink, they're... Never mind." He simple picked out the offending items and pushed them aside.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the gentle clang of silverware on plate as Noin ate and Treize picked at his meal.

The silence was broken by a loud moan emitted by the soldier on the couch and Treize hastily put his plate on the coffee table. "Zechs..." He encased the cold hand in his own two. "Wake up, it's okay."

"Where's the general? Please go away..."

Noin blanched, realising what the young lieutenant was remembering.

"Zechs, _please_ wake up!" He patted the side of his face gently.

With a gasp, he sat straight up on the couch, violently icy blue eyes scanning the room, looking for something he couldn't even explain. "Where...?"

"Zechs, you're in Noin's apartment - we had to leave the hospital - you're safe."

He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his eyes of tears on the verge of falling. 

Treize noticed, but decided against saying something.

"How're you feeling?" Noin asked gently.

"Alive." He responded quietly.

Treize snorted. "Always this fatalistic?"

Zechs sighed.

"Of course he is." Noin affirmed, taking up the plates.

"Hurts."

Treize frowned. "I can turn up your morphine, if you'd like."

His only answer was a grimace and a nod.

He quickly pushed the lever. "There." It was almost alarming to him to see someone he'd considered the steadiest person in his life reduced to a thin frame shivering on a couch. Somehow, he kept expecting the soldier to jump up, scare the living daylights out of him, and admit to the whole thing being a ruse. 'If only it was just a joke...'

"Treize?"

"What?" 

"Am I going to die?"

The pure lack of attachment in Zechs' voice startled and scared Treize so much that he had difficulty forming a reply. "No, no... Of course not..." He frowned deeply and shook his head. 'What happened to the person I used to know - you used to be so full of life... Mom would _kill_ me if she saw you like this. She'd be convinced it was my fault... Which it was...' His thoughts took a downward spiral, plunging into the deepest well of hatred and regret. Never in his life had he felt so inexplicably _guilty_.

"If you glare at that carpet a little harder, it just may catch on fire." A voice jested mutedly from behind him. "Come on, you can't just sit here like a bump on the log. Go out, go do something - _anything_!"

"I can't."

"You can and you _will_. Zechs might have told you I'm nothing if not a bloody bitch about not sitting and wallowing in regrets. Here," Noin shoved his coat at him. "Go buy some pecan ice cream."

He blinked at the jacket and looked back up at her. "What?"

"Pecan ice cream." She repeated. "It's his favourite." 

Treize looked back to Zechs for a moment, then turned to Noin. "Alright, fine... But if _anything_ happens..."

She rolled her eyes. "Just _go_. I'm a big girl. I know how to dial 9-1-1."

Against his will, he snorted at her rather lame joke. "Okay, okay, I'm going..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	16. Butter Pecan

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise:

Butter Pecan

By: Madisonne

Part: 15 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: First of all, I need to apologise to you readers. I was very very not diligent about posting and I'm really sorry! My puppy died the day I planned to finish this chapter and thought that perhaps waiting until I _wasn't_ in a fatalistic, gloomy mood to write this would be a good idea, especially since most of you seem to want Zechs to live at least a _bit_ longer ;-). Second of all, I want to thank all of you who have responded / reacted to this story. Your support has been astounding and quite motivating! Yay for reviewers! 

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~ signifies the beginning of a flash-back

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ signifies the end

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

"Lonely night?" The cashier asked, ringing through the three cartons of butter pecan ice cream and the box of cones. "Drowning sorrows?"

He sighed. "In a way."

She sighed as well. "Sorry." She gave him a reassuring smile. "Your total is... 10.97 credits."

Treize pulled out his wallet and pulled out a wad of cash, placing it on the counter.

She picked up the pile and quickly made change, giving him a few crumpled bills and a handful of coins. The cashier then gave him an eerily bright smile, one that seemed to contrast greatly with the fact that it was nearing eleven at night. "Hope everything turns out alright!"

He smiled vaguely in response. "You have no idea..."

The girl watched him head for the door. "Don't worry, she'll take you back!" 

Treize heard her as he hit the door and he turned back for a second and gave another weak smile. 'If only you _knew_...'

She sighed after he left. "Gosh, he's _cute_."

_His_ mind, however, was far away as he walked down the street, finding himself worrying about the most random things, like whether Zechs possessed a fish in his rooms and whether he'd remembered to have the lieutenant's name removed from the camp lists. His thoughts digressed even further and he found himself wondering how _Noin_ had managed to find out the blonde's favourite ice cream flavour when he wasn't even aware that Zechs had ever _tried_ it.

As he neared the complex, an unshakeable feeling of dread griped his mind. What if something had happened while he was gone, what if... 'Oh God...' He began to run, slowly, at first, but sped up to hit the ID station at the apartments at a dead run. 

"Oh God..." He muttered, anxiously trying to swipe his ID card, his pulse aching and drumming through his body. 'Please...' It seemed an eternity before the door swung open and he stumbled through. "Zechs?!!"

Noin looked up from her chair beside the couch. "Hey."

"He's fine..."

"You look surprised." Zechs noted. 

"Come on, even _I_ can't kill him in half an hour." Noin shook her head at the general. "Here, I'll go fix the ice cream." She took the bag from still-stunned fingers and disappeared into the kitchen.

Treize, however, was still rooted to the spot; transfixed mentally on what he had feared, as if somehow incapable of comprehending that his apprehensions had been allayed. 

"You look ill." Zechs commented blandly, readjusting his IV.

The three words were all it took to shake the general out of whatever nightmare he'd been in. "Perhaps. I think something didn't agree with me..." He quickly passed through the room and into the adjoining bathroom. Once there, with the door completely shut, he found himself violently sick, conjuring up dry heaves that left him gasping for air. 

Once the convulsions stopped, he slid down onto the floor, holding his head in his hands. 'He's fine... Dear God...'

A knock sounded on the door. "Sir, are you okay?" Noin's voice sounded muffled from the other side of the door.

"Yes. I'm fine." He slowly stood up and rinsed his mouth out twice, trying in vain to remove the last of the taste of wine and acid mixed together. After a few moments, he unlocked the door and left the bathroom.

"Here." She quietly handed him a can of ginger-ale, giving him a half-smile.

He accepted it, quite grateful, both for the lack of questioning and for the thoughtful gesture. The bubbles gave him a mild case of the hiccups, but the settling of his stomach was well worth the bother.

"You look like shit." Zechs observed dully, slowly working on getting his stiff fingers to curl around the spoon.

Noticing the lieutenant's struggle with the ice cream, Noin sat down beside him. "Want help?"

A blank stare was her only answer. Only after Noin shrugged, very much made uncomfortable by the intensity of his eyes, did he turn back to the ice cream.

For a few tense moments, there was nothing but a stifling silence in the room as both Noin and Treize watched Zechs struggle with forcing his fingers to respond to his brain impulses. The urge to take the bowl away from him and then commence spoon-feeding was almost unbearable.

"I'm not hungry." He unexpectedly pushed the bowl aside, not having managed even one bite.

"Zechs..." Treize began.

"Don't start. Just _don't_." The blonde's eyes flashed vulnerability and resolve at him. Slowly, he slunk down on the couch and closed his eyes.

Noin shook her head wordlessly at the boy on the couch, picking up the bowls and the now-empty soda can and took them to the kitchen. "Sir, why don't you go ahead and get some sleep; I'll watch him for a few hours."

He gave her a serious glance, obviously hesitant to relinquish his vigil over the lieutenant longer than a few hours' span. He turned his gaze to the patient on the couch. "Okay. Just... Wake me up if..."

She smiled lightly and nodded. "Here, let me show you where you can get fresh sheets and stuff..."

"I'll be alright, don't worry about it."

"Go ahead and use my bed."

He nodded and left the room, falling asleep almost as soon as he fell bonelessly onto the soft sheets.

~ ~ ~ BEGIN ~ ~ ~

Of all the crummy bad luck... He just _had_ to visit the training facility _today_. 'Ah, well... Better go see what damage's been done.'

His eyes caught a flash of ice-blonde going against the rush of people, _away_ from the blast and got suspicious. "Merquise." 

The blonde turned quickly at his name. 

"This way." He motioned to an alcove bereft of the frantic hustle and bustle of hundreds of trainees and soldiers. "What did you do?"

He blinked. "When?"

"Come on, Zechs. I know you too well to believe that you _didn't_ have _something_ to do with all this."

"I didn't _know_ I oughtn't to mix sodium and water!" He pouted.

"Give me a break. You scored higher than _I_ did on the aptitude test. I very much doubt you're ignorant of that fact."

He thought about that for a second, then cocked his head to one side. "It _did_ make a _tremendous_ noise, didn't it?" 

Treize sighed, quite aware that he was not getting through to the blonde. "Come on," He pulled the trainee back into the tide of people hurrying to the laboratory. "You're going to help clean it up."

Zechs was silent for a moment, then he commented quietly, "There's not much left to clean up."

Treize bit his tongue and pushed through the crowd instead. "You're _infuriating_."

"I know."

~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ 

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	17. Time of Truth

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

Time of Truth

By: Madisonne

Part: 16 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: Okay, this is a very upsetting chapter, probably the most depressing one in the whole series. I do promise, however, that no matter how bleak and dismal it may seem, the story _does_ go on after this and it is _not_ utterly depressing! I promise! :-)

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Treize woke slowly, very tempted to just roll over and fall back asleep. After all, he _was_ the leader of an army and deserved a few late days every once in a while. But his conscience would not let him slip back into slumber. Something important buzzed around in his head, but he could not keep the thought steady long enough to decipher exactly why he needed to be up.

He jumped violently when a doorbell rang, his eyes popping open. 'Shit! The doctor!' He slid out of bed and tried to smooth out some of the wrinkles in his clothes while making his way to the living room. 

Zechs was peacefully asleep on the couch, Noin nowhere in sight.

As he approached the door, he saw the note scribbled on a post-it on the wall. _Groceries - Zechs is fine._ Treize snorted and opened the door. "Doctor Adams..." He managed, suddenly feeling _very_ ill.

"Neither Doctor Martin nor Doctor Adriel could make it today, so I volunteered to come. I hope we can put aside our disagreement." The man offered, pushing past a very startled and suspicious Treize. "How has he been?"

Treize gathered his wits and put up his cool mask. "The lieutenant has been fine. He is already showing signs of improvement."

Doctor Adams nodded as he quickly checked the blonde's heart, his reflexes, and the worst of the bullet wounds. "I want to put him on a heavy pain-med."

Treize paused, thinking deeply. "What will it do to him?"

"Some patients experience mild delirium, but I have never seen anything else." He answered, while pulling out a syringe and loading it. "Do you want me to give it to him?"

He was torn. How could he trust the man who had caused Zechs so much stress and discomfort? On the other hand, the doctor seemed truly penitent and the blonde certainly needed more painkillers. "Alright, go ahead."

The doctor quickly injected the patient and started cleaning his supplies and packed them away. "That should hold him twelve hours at least." He moved to the door quickly. "Oh, and General? See that he gets back in the hospital, hmmm?" Then the doctor was gone.

Treize shook his head and sighed. He would never understand some people. 

A growling stomach led him to the kitchen. He found that his hostess apparently didn't believe in cereal and settled for making oatmeal from scratch when he heard a small cry from the living room. 

He raced there, only to find the patient in what appeared to be the beginning of a grand-mal seizure. "Shit!" He yelled, trying to hold the lieutenant down in an attempt to keep him from hurting himself.

Risking moments away from the blonde, he called the emergency squads and told them what was going on. Assured that a squad was on its way, he returned to the couch, where he attempted to soothe the patient, a very difficult prospect as the young man convulsed under his arms.

Vivid blue eyes snapped open at him and pleaded wordlessly for help.

"I won't leave you, Miri..." He promised.

The eyes shut again, as if the exchange had never happened. A sweat broke out on Zechs' forehead even as the convulsions seemed to slow.

Treize silently cursed every second it took for the squad to get to their house. "Miri? Please stay with me, I need you to stay... Please!" He grew more anxious and desperate as the blonde did not respond. "Miri, please? I need you here! Please..." As scared as he had been when Zechs was seizing, he now almost preferred it to the limp silence that the younger was lying in now.

Finally, the rescue squad arrived, and time seemed to spin faster than Treize could think. He had time merely to write a message for Noin next to hers (_Hospital - Zechs is _not_ fine_) before they whisked the blonde away on a stretcher, his finely honed arguing skills allowing him a spot in the ambulance with Zechs.

The first-responders spared no time checking all of the patient's vital stats, one finally asking Treize if he knew what had happened.

"Doctor Adams gave him something... Some sort of painkiller..."

The two responders closest to him exchanged a quick look, then began to clear a space on the patient's chest.

"Wait, what... What do you know about that?" Treize asked, frenzied and worried.

"Well, Doctor Adams _has_ been known to give patients shots of MerTyx, a new painkiller. It works fine ninety-eight point nine percent of the time... But... Well, some people present with horrible allergic reactions to the med..." The young responder was clearly uncomfortable and pained for the general. "I'm sorry, sir."

"He'll be okay, though. Right?" He asked, as they pulled up to the hospital.

The answer, if any was given, was lost to the wind as they pulled the blonde out of the ambulance and into the hospital. 

Treize found himself, once again, waiting in an over-filled room, anxiety running through his veins. 'What if they can't help him...' He gave a small whimper at that thought, drawing few strange looks, given his surroundings.

Each minute seemed to him as a small eternity, one riddled with constant worry and fretting. 

"General Khushrenada?" A harried-looking med-student called into the waiting room.

"Yes?" He started towards the girl.

"You'd better come with me." She led him quickly through a maze of rooms where hundreds of people were being worked on. 

"What's going on?" He asked, worriedly.

"Just follow me, sir." She responded vaguely. "Put this on, please." She handed him a paper surgeon's mask as she opened the door to an operating room.

The lieutenant was on his back on the gurney, numerous machines and doctors busily working at him. A solid stench of blood and sterilisation fluids permeated the mask and caused him to become queasy. 

After a moment, he realised something disturbing - the EKG machine was suspiciously silent. 

"How long has it been?" One of the doctors asked. 

"Thirty-three minutes." A med-student answered.

"God damn it..." The man sighed. "Alright, I'm calling it. Time of death, eleven twenty-two." He threw down his gloves and stomped out of the room, muttering some vague, angry words about 'damnable asses who shouldn't be allowed to be in practice'.

"No..." Treize found his voice as the area around the blonde cleared and he saw that they'd cracked the young man's chest to try and revive him. "Oh my god..."

"You can stay here as long as you like." The young med-student who had brought him there said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." When the girl left the room, the general was alone.

Treize was shaken. He found himself unable to comprehend that his best friend in the entire world was gone. It seemed hardly possible that someone who had been so full of life and spirit was simply not there anymore. With wooden steps, he made it over to the gurney, wincing at the harsh light the operating bulbs gave off. "Miri... I'm so sorry..." He dropped to his knees beside the patient, holding a blood-spattered hand with his own. "There are so many things I wanted to tell you... I should have listened. I should never have let you go that night... I'm going to miss you _so_ much. I - I never told you... I do, truly, _love_ you..." He stood up for a moment to brush a light kiss over already cooling lips and to brush silken blonde hair off of a pale face. "I miss you so much..." 

A noise behind him startled and alarmed him. "I'm too late..." Noin observed quietly, her voice catching. 

Treize noticed his hastily scribbled note in her hand. "Yes." He turned from the operating table. "You're too late." A small movement near the other door caught his eye and he turned to face Doctor Adams directly. "You bastard. You goddamned, fucking _bastard_!" He was livid, a pulse beating red-hot through his ears. "You killed him. He's gone." 

The man shrugged fluidly. "It happens."

"No!" He protested wildly, both to the doctor and the sickeningly mind-numbing sensation of falling he was experiencing. "No!"

* * * * * * * 

His eyes shot open, quickly sitting up and scanning the room. 'What...' 

The doorbell rang and he jumped out of bed in shock. "Shit..." Treize quickly went through the apartment and opened the door to see Doctor Martin. "It's you... Thank god..."

She frowned at him, while moving past him to the blonde on the couch. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a bad dream." He responded.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

See? That wasn't that bad! Er, was it? I told you it would not be totally and completely depressing! Only for a bit! What did _you_ think?


	18. You're a Good Man, Treize Khushrenada

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

You're a Good Man, Treize Khushrenada

By: Madisonne

Part: 17 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: Sorry it took so long to get this one out! I promise it won't happen again! You'll forgive me, right guys? Guys? *Crickets chirp and Mad shuffles off, mumbling something about deadlines and writer's block* No, seriously, I've just been a little busy, nothing much in particular. I plan to map out this whole thing's progression this weekend, and, with that, you'll see a little more regularity. I hope... 

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Doctor Martin smiled at the young man who had been banished to the kitchen while she worked on the lieutenant – he was sprawled in a kitchen chair, leaning his upper body on the table, fast asleep. "General?"  
He woke with a small jump. "What? Oh, hey…"

"I've finished with Zechs. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," He reassured, rubbing his eyes wearily. "Why?"

She took a seat at the kitchen table across from him. "Sometimes, when someone is under a lot of pressure, it's easy to forget to eat or sleep enough." Doctor Martin spoke as if to a young child. "Are you certain you don't need any help?"

"I'm fine. He needs me, I think. He's… Not the same."

She nodded, understanding. "He's lucky to have a friend like you."

Treize snorted. "Yeah, right. I got him into this mess."

"Regardless, that boy needs a friend right now and you seem to be the best man for the job." She pulled out a Palm-V. "I'm having a wheel chair and crutches sent here. For the first few days, make him use the wheel chair and only let him use the crutches when you're with him – I'm not quite sure if he's going to recover enough control to be able to do that really well. I'm also going to show you how to change his IV drip and how to check his catheter for infection. I can only make it here once a day before work, but I think he'll be okay if you work with him."

"How long will it be until we know whether he will be able to walk again?" 

"It's hard to say, he's had more than the usual post-op complications, but you should start seeing a more definite 'yes' or 'no' in the next two weeks."

"What if he gets bored?"

"Take him to work in his wheel chair, but take care to see that he doesn't wear himself out." She smiled at him. "You're a good man; he'll come around eventually. I had better get back to work. Some one will be around to deliver his meds later this afternoon, okay?" She rose and headed for the door, waving at her patient on the way. 

"Thank you, doctor." Treize smiled wearily. "I appreciate your help."

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm just sorry I can't do more. Take it easy, you two." The door shut softly behind her and Treize moved to sit beside the blonde. 

"So is it permanent?" Zechs asked. "And next time, you ought to include me in your conversations – I'm not a child."

Treize decided to ignore the second bit. "Is what…?"

"The paralysis – for how long am I to be a cripple?"

"Zechs, you're not a cripple…"

"Bullshit I'm not. I can't move my legs, what more do I need to be a cripple?!!"

"If only we had a way to cripple your mouth." Treize muttered.

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to." He bluffed quickly. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No. Noin fixed some soup before she left."

"Did you eat it?"  
"Yes father." He grouched mockingly. "When did you become so damned protective?"

"When did you become such an ass?" He shot back bitterly.

Zechs was silent and Treize regretted his words. "I'm… I'm sorry. This can't be easy for you and I do appreciate all you've done for me, I'm just…"

"Scared." Treize finished.

The blonde neither agreed nor disagreed outwardly, instead plopping his head down onto the armrest. "So, how's Lady Une taking my absence?"

"Hmmm, not well would be a vast understatement." Treize grimaced. "I don't think she's quite grasped the concept that men who can't walk are not of much use on the battlefield." 

"Hmph… I would be willing to bet that it is not so much my absence that irks her, but yours."

"Well, that may be true, but…"

Zechs stopped him by reaching out a hand as if to touch his wrist. "You have a war to run, I understand if you need to go back, and the hospital is really not all that bad…"

"There is no way you will ever go back into that hospital!" He grimaced. "I'll just get some one to send over the bulk of the deskwork."

"You'll get bored." He argued.

"No more than you will. And we both know that I'm much less attention deficit hyperactive than you!"

"I do appreciate your staying with me; I expect that it has got to be rather boring."

"Hmmm…" Treize shrugged. "Do you need any more painkillers?"

"No, the doctor gave me lots more morphine." His head lolled to the side. "Couldn't be more oblivious right now."

"And that's new _how_?"

"Charming." He snorted.

"At least one of us is..." He murmured, picking at his fingernails.

"Asshole." Zechs snorted grumpily.

"Now, now children... Such words!" Noin scolded as she opened the door. She smiled at them and put the groceries she had bought down on the coffee table. "What did the doctor say?"

"Same old, pretty much." Treize answered, gathering the grocery bags and heading to the kitchen to put them away. 

"Hmmm... How're you feeling?" She asked Zechs, while taking off her coat and hanging it in the closet.

"High. I'm very high." He said as he closed his eyes. 'Maybe if I pretend to fall asleep, they'll all go away and I can pout to my heart's desire...' He realised that he was being petty and childish, but didn't much care.

Noin sighed in exasperation. How the hell were they supposed to help him if he refused to let them into his mind?!! 'Well, that will be Treize's problem soon enough and I won't have to deal with it.' "Zechs, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"What?" He asked, not opening his eyes.

"I have to leave. I've been called to Siberia to train some new pilots. You two can still stay here, I'd signed up for the next four months here." She explained softly.

Zechs pondered on how to respond. On one hand, he realised that if he was an ass and did not express at least _some_ upset at the fact that she was leaving, he would probably hate himself when he was off of the drugs. On the other hand, he _was_ grumpy and goodness knew that he was never one to act with any sense of decorum when he was ill. "Hmmm, pack a jacket..."

She shook her head in consternation, deciding that the boy was completely impossible. "Be good. Don't give Treize a hard time, he's giving himself enough grief to kill a small woodland animal."

Zechs sighed heavily and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'yes mother', but Noin decided to let it slide. 

"I'm serious, be good. And don't over-work yourself."

He nodded and closed his eyes. 

She watched him fall asleep for a bit, carefully committing to memory what she could. If anything, his accident had made her frighteningly aware of how truly fragile he was, no matter what front he put up to contradict that thought. She smiled at him and headed to the kitchen to tell Treize that she was leaving.

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	19. You're a Good Man, Treize Khushrenada Co...

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

You're a Good Man, Treize Khushrenada (Continued)

By: Madisonne 

Part: 18 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: Wow, I am so sorry; this story has not been updated in a long time. *Looks guilty and shuffles feet* At least school's out now, so I should have more time! This is an extra-long chapter to try and make up for my delinquency in posting. Hope you enjoy!

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Treize sighed from the kitchen, watching Zechs out of the corner of his eye. The blonde had been playing with his food for over twenty minutes and had only eaten about three mouthfuls. While Treize felt some duty to make sure that Zechs did not starve himself to death, he also did not want to make him feel as though he were a child who had to be told how much to eat.

When Zechs tried to put the plate down, however, he decided that a confrontation was in order. 

"Aren't you hungry?" 

Zechs grimaced and gave the plate to Treize. "No, not really."

"Are you sure?" Treize asked, concern tingeing his voice.

"What am I, a two-year-old? No, I'm not hungry." Zechs replied grumpily.

"Are you tired? It's getting kind of late..."

"No." He responded, picking at a blanket beside him. 'When I can hardly _think_ without having flashbacks, how does he expect me to _sleep_?' 

Treize frowned. "Do you need some more morphine or something?"

"No..." 'If I have more morphine, I'll probably die from drug poisoning...'

He sighed lightly. While he did not want to leave the pilot if he was upset, he also did not want to hang around if the other was getting bored of his company. "Well, I guess I'll go to bed, then..." He started to the door.

"Treize?"

"Yes?" He asked, turning back around.

"Would you... I mean... It's rather lonely out here; do you think you could stay?" Zechs asked with his eyes downcast. He hated to admit that having somebody near was rather soothing, but his loneliness exceeded his pride. 'He probably thinks I'm too high to know what I'm saying anyways.'

Treize came back into the room and sat down on the coffee table beside the blonde. "Well, yeah. Do you want to talk?"

He shook his head. "No... I _am_ bored, though."

"Do you want to play cards, or something?" 

The blonde thought about it, then nodded. "As long as you don't cheat."

Treize feigned anger and innocence. "What? Me, cheat?!! I am insulted!" 

"It's the only way you could have beaten me at that game of Spite and Malice on the training simulation trip." He grouched. 

"Well, I suppose it would be rather dishonourable to cheat when playing a man who can't walk, so I guess I'll try to keep the illegal plays down to a minimum." He sighed and rolled his eyes in facetiousness. "What do you want to play?"

"Uhm... What about Truth-or-Dare Poker?" Zechs suggested, knowing full well that he _always_ won those games. 'Well, naturally, there's too much at stake if you lose!'

Treize pondered his decision, noting the sly look on the blonde's face that lasted mere seconds. "Sounds good." He got up and went through one of the cabinets to find a deck of cards. His efforts were rewarded and he returned back to the living room, where Zechs had managed to get himself up into a sitting position. 

"By the way, I declare my sister officially off-limits for the 'dare' segments." Zechs warned.

'Damn...' Treize sighed, knowing that he had just lost some of his best ammo. "Fine, then I declare Une off-limits as well."

'Shit...' The blonde sighed as well. "Well, I suppose that's only fair." 

The general sat down on the floor in front of the coffee-table and shuffled the deck once. He then dealt and cursed at his hand. 'I swear that brat cheats... Not sure _how_, but he _does_.'

"Ha, you lose." Zechs noted. "Truth or dare?"

"Hmmm, truth." He decided quickly.

Inwardly, Zechs made a noise that could only be reckoned as cackling. "How many rules have you broken at work?"

Treize thought long and hard about that. "104 in total, 56 through some fault of yours."

"Really? Which ones?"

He smirked, knowing he had the upper hand. "I believe that that was _not _part of the original question, therefore, I do not have to answer." 

"Damn..." Zechs cursed, upset that he had not tricked the general. "Deal again."

He hid his smile while dealing the deck. He knew very well that he had ticked off the blonde by weaselling out of his second question. Treize smirked as he looked at his hand. 'Oh, how the mighty will fall...'

"Three queens, two jacks." Zechs put his cards down on the table, a small smirk on his face.

'Shit, he did it again!' Treize groaned as he put his cards down. "Two threes, three fours."

"Truth or dare?"

"Huh... Truth."

Zechs thought for a moment. "Are you really allergic to coconuts, or were you just trying to elude a date at the bar with that poor recruit?"

Treize laughed heartily at the memory. "Yes... No... I mean, yes, I _was_ trying to avoid a date and yes I _am_ allergic to coconuts." He piled the cards together and shuffled again. 'If he wins this hand, I'm sending him to Vegas to manage my inheritance. With his luck, I'd never lose.' He dealt the cards and smiled at his luck. "Four queens and a two."

Zechs sighed and tossed his hand down. "Nothing."

"Ha!" He grinned and sat back in his chair. "Okay, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

Treize blanked. He was totally in the dark as to what question he should ask. After a second, one came to him. "Why'd you do it? Why'd you step in front of a bullet for me?"

The range of emotions on Zechs' face was almost comical as he searched for an answer. His expression turned dark and he scooted over onto his side, faced towards the back of the sofa. "I'm tired."

"Zechs, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you..." Treize groaned inwardly, highly uncomfortable with the sudden change in the atmosphere of the room. Never before had he felt such sheer hostility from the blonde and the fact almost terrified him. "Zechs..." He sighed, realising that he was not going to get an answer. 

Clicking off a few lights, he gave up and headed to bed, hoping that the whole scenario would be sorted out by morning. 

* * * * * * * 

He jumped as a loud knocking permeated his sleep. 'Shit, I _really_ need to get an alarm clock...' He rolled out of bed and pulled on a tee-shirt on his way to open the door. "Good morning, Doctor Martin. Thanks for coming. I think Zechs is still asleep; he can sleep through anything..."

The doctor smiled at him and brought in a pair of crutches and a duffel bag. "He looks well rested." She sat down on the floor beside the couch and took the blonde's pulse. "It looks like he's regaining some colour... Good..." A quick foray into the duffel bag proved that she had come well stocked with more morphine. "How's his pain been?"

Treize shrugged. "He hasn't been complaining much."

"Okay..." She checked a few bottles that she had brought along. "Here, take these. Keep him on the same dose, unless, of course, he appears to be getting high off of it." 

He took the medication and checked it over once.

"Well, let's see..." She checked a few boxes on her palm-v and smiled. "As far as I can tell, he's ready to start working with crutches regularly. After all, there's only so much he can do while sitting or being propped up without causing major muscle atrophy. And I suspect he's going to develop a bad case of cabin fever before too long." Laughing, she pulled herself up and shook the blonde's arm. "Zechs... Zechs, it's time to get up."

A soft, frustrated, "Mmmrph..." was her first reply, then her patient opened his eyes. "What? Oh. Hi." He sat up slowly. "Am I going to get dragged back to the hospital or do I pass muster?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Nope, you get to stay. You look well."

He shrugged. 

"Do you feel okay?"

"I feel like I've been shot several times and had my spinal cord severed." He informed her with a totally straight face. 

The doctor sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She had never really gotten used to patients being so negative all the time, although one would never know from her expression. "Zechs, please. We're trying the best we can and..."

He dismissed her argument with a wave of the hand. "Don't worry about me. I'll deal."

She shook her head and got control over her emotions. "Okay, so have you ever used crutches before?" 

"No." Zechs answered, eyeing the crutches warily.

"Well, I'll start from the beginning then." She pulled him to stand leaning on her and put the crutches under his arms for him. "Okay, so you're going to lean on them, then shift your weight back to your legs and stick the crutches out in front of you." The doctor instructed, while keeping an arm around his waist in case he slipped. 

The sensation of standing with crutches was utterly new and foreign to him, so he stood still for a moment, trying to adjust to them. When he tried to move with them, however, he found that he could only move inches at a time; his legs would not support him any longer without going numb and buckling. He gave it a few more tries and flopped back down onto the couch. "I can't do it." 

Doctor Martin took the crutches away from him and put them back on the coffee table. "It's okay, we can try again later."

"No, it's not okay." Zechs' expression turned stormy. "Why can't I use my legs? Why can't I even use _crutches_?!!"

"Well, you very aptly summed it up - you severed your spinal cord. It's going to take some time before you can do all the things you used to without some difficulty." She spoke firmly, trying to get across that what he was going through was normal. "It's just going to take time."

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Okay. I'm sorry. I understand."

She smiled wearily at him and patted his shoulder. "Take it easy, okay?"

Zechs nodded in response and watched as she packed up the medical supplies she had brought. "Bye." He called out as she left the apartment. 

Treize was quiet for a moment, then sat on the coffee table beside the blonde. "She's only trying to help, you know." Not receiving an answer, not even a glare, he sighed and crossed the room to power up his computer.

The room was silent except for the gentle clacking of the keys as he worked. Zechs' back was to him, so he wasn't quite sure whether the blonde had fallen back asleep or if he was awake still. 

After thirty minutes, he got his answer. A gentle thud caught his attention, especially after it was repeated, each time a little louder. 

A quick scan of the room revealed that Zechs was throwing a pair of socks repeatedly at the ceiling. 

Treize looked from the screen of his lap-top to Zechs to his lap-top and back again. Deciding that the work was not critical, he turned on the screen-saver. "Do you want to go out?"

Zechs did not answer at first, and Treize thought that he was sulking. "Yeah. That would be nice." 

Treize retrieved the wheel-chair, their jackets, and the keys to the apartment quickly and helped the blonde transfer from the couch to the chair. "Okay?"

"Yeah." Zechs answered, while pulling his coat on slowly. 

The general shrugged into his coat and headed out of the apartment, pushing the wheel-chair. "There's a park near here..."

Zechs shrugged. "Sounds good." 

Their trip was quiet and they soon found themselves in the park by the swings. Zechs smiled lightly and pointed them out. 

Treize took the hint and deposited him beside one of the empty swings. 

The blonde quickly transferred seats and began swinging gently, unable to push himself very far. 

"I remember you had swings." Treize commented as he sat down in the swing next to his friend. "Your dad was not too fond of them, but your mom said they added character to the garden."

Zechs smiled vaguely at the memory. "Dad hated those swings. He thought they looked like they belonged in some park. They probably did."

"You were _always_ on the swings. I remember one time you threw a fit because my mom wanted you to come inside and visit and you wanted to stay there." 

"It's funny."

"What is?" Treize asked, puzzled.

"Life's rather cyclical. Who would have thought that thirteen or so years ago we were doing the exact same thing?" He shook his head. "It's weird."

Treize laughed in response. "Yeah, I suppose so." He looked up at the trees beginning to turn auburn and smiled. "It's so beautiful out."

Pushing off of the ground lightly, he continued to swing. "Yeah... Very peaceful." He paused. "It's moments like these that... Well, you can almost feel eternity. It's rather soothing."

Treize thought for a moment. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." He smiled. "You're very esoteric today."

He shrugged. "I guess I've had a lot of time to think..." He trailed off as a plane tore across the sky above them. Almost immediately, his face fell and he looked down at his hands solemnly.

At first, Treize could not figure out what was wrong, then he realised what was going on in the blonde's head. "Zechs, you'll get better. You'll fly again."

"How do you _know_ that?" He spat back at him. "You have no idea what it's like to wake up and spend everyday in pain. You don't know what it's like to know that you might never walk again. Shit..." He rubbed his eyes roughly. "You have no idea."

Treize sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to form a cohesive, comforting thought. "Zechs, Miri... No, I don't know. But I've been by your side the entire time and I've seen what this has done to you. I'm here and I have been. I'm trying everything I can to help. Please don't do this... Don't shut down and block me out because you think I don't know." He sighed again. "I do understand some things. I understand that you need help. I understand that you need care. I understand that you need a friend, and I'm here for you. Okay?"

After a moment Zechs nodded, his head still bowed. "Thanks."

Treize smiled softly. "Let's go back." At Zechs' nod, he helped him back into his wheel-chair and they set off towards home. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	20. Trials and Tribulations

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

Trials and Tribulations

By: Madisonne 

Part: 19 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: This fic recently had it's one-year birthday. Happy birthday to fic, happy birthday to fic! :-)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Days melted into a week, a week oozed into two, the sole highlight of which was when Doctor Martin took her patient's bandages off for the last time. The skin underneath was remarkably smooth - only a few areas where white tissue had lumped to form small scars attested to Zechs' ordeal. With reopening the wounds themselves no longer a serious concern, the rehabilitation sessions were increasing in length and in difficulty.

Treize felt a tremendous load lift from his chest with every improvement, however minute, Zechs showed. He wanted and yearned for a way to make sure that his best friend would never get hurt again, but with no way to manage that, he contented himself to see that the blonde was given the best care possible.

This was precisely why he was up at the ungodly hour of five in the morning, labouring over a hot stove, a chore he normally abhorred. He wanted to ensure that Zechs ate before Doctor Martin arrived to put him through the battery of re-hab she had initiated for him.

Clad in flannel pants and a tank top, he snorted at the realisation that he looked the picture of domesticity. Treize pushed that thought from his mind and slid the eggs from the pan to the plate he had waiting. He also placed a few strawberries on the plate and picked up a fork. Walking out of the kitchen, he braced himself for battle. Gundam pilots wanting to kill him and eat his children, he could put up with. Well, maybe not the 'eating his children' part, but Zechs' stubborn ways were a definite force with which to be reckoned.

Treize put the plate down on the coffee table next to Zechs and waited for the blonde to acknowledge him. 

Blue eyes looked at him, at the plate, then back at him. "I don't like eggs." He rolled back over onto his side and shut his eyes.

"You do too; you ate them yesterday." Treize insisted.

His response came through a pillow. "I'm a vegetarian." 

"Like shit you are." He snorted and shook his head. "I _know_ you eat meat."

"I'm allergic."

"To _eggs_?" Scoffing, he crossed his arms.

"No, to pepper."

"I didn't put any pepper on them."

Treize heard something, muttered into a pillow, which muffled what he suspected was a 'god damn it'. 

"I don't like you." 

"Regardless, you _will_ eat before Doctor Martin gets here or I'll tell her you haven't been eating and they'll put a tube in your stomach to feed you through."

Zechs made a sound of disgust and sat up, knowing he was in defeat. He sullenly poked at the eggs for a moment with his fork before beginning to eat. 

'God, he's stubborn. And it's not as though he's not hungry. He just likes being a pain in the ass...' Treize griped to himself.

The routine was not uncommon - Treize would ask Zechs to do something and the blonde would come up with every excuse imaginable, even including that he 'didn't speak English'. While it was slightly amusing the first two times, after that it got rather, for lack of a better phrase, annoying as hell. 

An unnerving silence permeated the apartment, broken only by a loud knock at the door.

Treize was glad for the distraction and welcomed Doctor Martin into the apartment. 

She quickly slid out of her coat and opened the briefcase she had brought with her. "Good morning, how are you feeling, Zechs?"

He shrugged. "Okay."

"Good." She pulled out a laptop and a hand-held scanner. She quickly started the computer and clicked on the digital doctor program. "Okay, today I'm just going to check the muscles in your body and see where we need to work on you." The scanner fit over her hand, and the program loaded, she began to check different parts of his arms and legs. The whole process took only fifteen minutes, and, once done, she slipped off the scanner and clicked on the images twice to send them to the hospital. "Well, it looks like we'll be fitting you for leg-braces, Zechs. That is, just until your muscles get strong enough to hold you. For now, however, I'm going to give you some homework - you are to work for at least an hour tonight and for an hour tomorrow. I'll be back on Wednesday to fit your braces. Okay?"

He nodded wordlessly.

"Good." She packed up her equipment and retrieved her coat. At the door, she threw over her shoulder. "And don't sulk; it doesn't become you."

Her admonishment had only served to make Zechs pout more and Treize to snicker under his breath. She left and silence reigned once again in the apartment. 

"I don't sulk." Zechs muttered, folding his arms crossly.

Treize just shook his head and fetched the crutches. "Well, you heard the doctor." He handed them to the blonde and stepped back. 

Slowly, taking time to adjust to being fully vertical again, he pulled himself onto the crutches and used them to get across the room to where they did most of his rehabilitation. 

After Zechs had fallen down three or four times and received some rather nasty bruises, Treize and Doctor Martin had pulled all the pillows in the apartment and thrown them down on the floor, leaving a bare circle in which Zechs could walk. Their 'safety-net' had caused Zechs no end of embarrassment, but had kept him from receiving so many injuries. 

Once stopped and fully steady, Zechs let go of the crutches and hung onto the arms Treize had stretched out to him. He realised that he probably looked fully ridiculous, clutching onto someone's arms in order not to fall over.

"You okay?" 

Zechs nodded.

"Let's go, then." Treize started to walk backwards, forcing Zechs to either keep up or risk falling. 

Their progress was painfully, laughably slow, but for a man whose prognosis was to never walk again, their progress was simply short of a miracle. 

Miracle or no miracle, Zechs grew tired as they went around in circles for what seemed like forever, Treize helping him less and less with each circle. "I'm tired."

"Just five more minutes, then we'll take a break." Treize coaxed. 'I can't believe he's still trying to pull this shit. If he'd just _work_ for any length of time, he'd be well on his way to recovery!' However irritated he was on the inside, his careful training let him hide his emotions and keep his calm in front of the blonde.

"But I want to take a break _now_." Zechs grumbled as he tripped over a stray pillow. "I can't do this!" 

Unwilling to let the blonde's complaints stop the re-hab session, Treize walked on and freed his hands from Zechs' grasp, so that the blonde was walking almost entirely on his own. 

For a moment, it seemed that Zechs had conquered the art of walking again, but then he stumbled, Treize catching him at the last second. 

"Shit." The blonde grumbled as Treize helped him sit on the ground. He buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily. 'Why doesn't he just leave me the hell alone?!!'

Treize, unsure of what to do, sat down next to him. "What's the matter?"

Zechs' answer came in the most sad, most unsteady voice Treize had ever heard. "I-I can't do th-this... I'm tired and, and I'm... I'm... A stubborn _brat_!" He wailed and started crying.

"Oh..." He was suddenly aware of what all this was about. Zechs was feeling guilty about the way he had been treating him. "You're not a brat, per say."

"You're just s-saying that to be nice." Zechs moped. "You don't hav-have to be nice. I know 'm brat."

"Well, at least you're a _charming_ one." Treize soothed. 

"'Mnot _charming_. I'm a b-bastard. And you h-hate me." 

Treize sighed and looked up at the ceiling, hoping for divine inspiration. Or something. _Anything_. The ceiling fan offered no solution. "I don't _hate_ you. If I hated you, would I still be here?"

Zechs was silent.

"Miri, would I still be here?" He asked again.

His answer was sullen and grudgingly given. "No."

"I don't hate you. I _miss_ you." Treize sighed. "I _miss_ not being able to joke with you. I _miss_ training with you. And, believe it or not, I _miss_ bailing you out of trouble for childish pranks. I _don't_ hate you." 

Zechs sighed and wiped off his tears.

"Let's go. Come on. Just a little while longer." Treize promised and dragged the blonde to his feet. 

Zechs drew a deep breath, found his centre of balance, and looked up. "I'm ready."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	21. People They Fall Apart

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

People They Fall Apart

By: Madisonne 

Part: 20 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

He frowned as he read the e-mail from the OZ research facility. Things just were not adding up. The base was three weeks into its formal investigation of the assassination attempt and they were no closer to finding the answer to the 'who' and 'how' than they had been when the incident first occurred. Each piece of the puzzle only served to shroud the scheme in more mystery.

The man's motive was more than clear-cut - there was no shortage of reasons for certain groups to wish to kill an OZ top-executive.

The 'how' was a little more puzzling. The man should never have been able to get into the conference with so much as a nail file, much less a gun.

'It just doesn't add up...' Treize sighed as he contemplated what little the OZ researchers knew so far. He yawned and popped his back loudly. 

The alarm clock next to him blinked '4:07 AM'. His hesitance to work on the case in front of Zechs had led him to working until the wee hours of the morning.

"Treize?"

He jumped violently, completely unaware that Zechs was awake in the other room. Shutting down his computer, he hurried to the living room, where Zechs was sitting up on the couch. "What's wrong?"

Zechs did not answer his question, merely put a book in his hands. "Would you read this to me? Please?"

Treize was stunned at the blonde's request and sat down on the couch. He was even more stunned when Zechs curled up beside him, his head resting on his superior's knee.

Deciding not to comment, Treize opened the book and discovered why Zechs wanted him to read out-loud. A Russian translation of Dante's _Inferno_. Zechs knew Russian fairly well, but a good number of the words were in an archaic form of the language.

He quietly began translating the book into English.

He was twenty pages into the story when Zechs spoke. "I had a nightmare."

Treize closed the book, glad Zechs was finally opening up to him. "About what?"

"You. You were going to be killed, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find you to warn you."

Treize nodded. "Well, it was just a dream."

"I know that. But it got me thinking. We still don't know who tried to kill you. What if..."

"Nothing is going to happen. I am perfectly safe." Treize assured him.

Zechs shook his head. "All the same..."

"You saved me once. I assure you that there are hundreds more officers that wouldn't hesitate to do the same." Treize winced as he talked, realising that his words might seem harsh and uncaring. He had known for quite some time that the blonde had not stepped in front of the bullets merely because it was his job. He had stepped in front of him to save a friend.

Unfortunately, Zechs was not oblivious to the slight in the elder's words. "Oh, so _that's _it. I was just some person who got _shot_ for you! I can't believe you!"

"Zechs, that's not what I meant, and you know it!"

"Oh, I do, do I? Then why don't I believe you?" Zechs spat back, pushing himself to the other side of the couch. "You _bastard_. I would have _died_ for you! Go."

"What?"

"Go! Go find the other _hundreds_ of people willing to die for you. I don't need you here. Leave!"

Treize realised he was being irrational, but he could not help getting irritated. "_Fine_, you damn brat!" He got up, grabbed his jacket, and stormed out of the apartment. "Good _bye_."

"Don't _ever come_ back!"

"Don't worry. I _won't_!"

As soon as the door slammed shut, Zechs knew that he had made a grave mistake. "Treize..." He called out to the wooden door, but it remained silent. "Shit..."

With no little effort, he pulled himself onto his crutches and slowly made his way to the phone.

He dialled, and moments later, Noin showed up on the vid-screen.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I need your help. I've really fucked up this time."

  
* * * * * * *   


Treize knew that it was raining, but did not much care. Zechs' angry words tore at him with talons of ice.

'Fine. I don't need him. There are plenty of others who would kill for his place.' He was comforted by this thought for a moment, but he soon grew depressed again. 'If I don't need him, then why don't I want to find someone to take his place?"

It was as if someone had taken blinders off of him for the first time in his life. He stopped dead in his tracks on the street. 'He... I _care_ for him.'

Treize made it over to a park bench, and plopped down on it, still in shock. "Shit."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


	22. People They Fall Apart, Continued

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

People They Fall Apart, Continued

By: Madisonne 

Part: 21 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

It was getting cold and dark when Treize discovered that staying outside was probably not the smartest idea ever. Only a few lights worked in the park and seedy-looking teens and drunks were quickly replacing the cheerful families. 'After all that has happened in the past few months, I doubt very many people would forgive me if I managed to get myself killed in some stupid park...'

With a grimace, he stumbled out of the park and onto crowded streets. Knowing that there was no way he would survive out in the night, unprotected by even a gun, so he wandered into the nearest hotel. He moved as in a daze to the receptionist's desk. "Room for one, please."

She looked him up and down with a disapproving gaze, then typed something into the computer in front of her. "For how long?"

"Uhm... A week for now, but probably more." He did not much care. All that mattered to him was that he had failed his mission - bringing Zechs back to normal. 

"Three hundred credits." She looked up at him expectantly.

'Shit - my wallet...' He realised that he had left it behind. "Uhm... How about a Swiss Army Watch?" He slid the watch off of his arm and handed it to her. Hotels on this side of the city tended to be less respectable and he was sure that his bribe would be well received.

Her eyes lit up as she saw the delicate craftsmanship on the watch and the emblem that designated the watch as certifiably made by the Swiss. She clicked on the keyboard twice and retrieved a key card for him. "Alright, sir. Your room is number 362, on the third floor." Where she had been impatient and moody before, she was now chipper and bright.

'It's so sad what people will do once they see good money around here...' He gratefully took the card and headed for the lift.

His hotel room was sparse and slightly dingy, but he did not need anything more than the queen bed, the bathroom with the leaky faucet, and the dented vid-phone bolted to the table. 'Welcome home...' He rolled his eyes at his own sarcasm and fell back onto the bed.

* * * * * * * 

Zechs realised that he probably looked like a mess, and that made him all the more upset. "I'm such an ass." He mourned loudly from the couch on which he had been spending the entire day.

Noin shook her head and chuckled lightly. "No, you're not. Stubborn, sometimes nasty, and an utter brat, but not an ass." She dropped a bowl of ice cream into his hands and was pleased to see him lift the spoon effortlessly. Her plane had arrived mere hours ago and she had been delighted to see that Zechs had improved so much. 

"But, he's going to hate me now!"

She snorted as she bit into her own ice cream. "I highly doubt it. Trust me. He would _never_ hate you."

He shook his head. "He's got to... 'M bad person and he hates me."

Noin groaned. 'He must _really_ be upset - he's already talking like a child.'

"'Nd 'm mean and selfish and rude..." The blonde pouted and sniffed.

She could feel her resolve to treat him like a grown-up dissolving by the second. "Now, that's not true. You know, and _he_ knows; you were just having a bad day." He seemed to consider that for a moment, which made Noin quite pleased. 'He's still moderately reasonable.'

Zechs sniffed again. "At least I didn't throw things at him."

She smiled and gave him a hug. "I know, honey. I know." 

"No, really. I'm lucky I didn't throw things at him. I did before and he got really mad."

Noin raised an eyebrow; she had not heard the story. "Really?"

Zechs looked down at his hands in embarrassment. "I was mad after a training session, so I threw a book, three pencils, and a vid-phone at him. He didn't talk to me for a week."

Now she recalled the incident. "Zechs," She sighed, exasperated. "He was out on a training mission for the next week. He _couldn't_ talk to you."

"All the same." He wailed. "I'm a bastard."

Realising that she wasn't going to hear much else for the rest of the day, Noin opted to drown him out by turning on the television. "We are going to watch Lifetime until you stop whining." She announced, and sat back down on the couch.

"Oh no... It's the sad movie about the woman who kicks her husband out of her house and he winds up dead!" Zechs whimpered.

"Uhm, perhaps this was a bad choice..." She flipped through a couple of channels. "Here, the wildlife channel." 

From the TV, a ditzy redhead woman spoke about an African insect. "When the female has let the male finish the preparations for the nest, she will turn him out and he will die, unprotected and weak in the hot sun."

Noin bit her lip and changed the channel again, but every one she went to, it had something about someone being turned out of a house and getting hurt. Zechs made unhappy noises each time anything bad happened, and soon she found herself losing patience. "Fine! We will watch a Disney movie. You _can't_ find anything to mope about in those." She inserted a DVD into the television and clicked 'play'.

Once he discovered what movie she had chosen, he made another unhappy noise and covered his face with his hands.

Losing patience, Noin yelled at him. "Okay, what the _hell_ is wrong with _The Lion King_?!!"

"Simba goes away and his daddy dies..." 

That was the last straw. Noin shrieked and threw down the remote. "That is _it_! You are driving me crazy! I will not talk to you until you call Treize and tell him you're sorry."  
"Can't... He hates me." His hands muffled his voice. 

She rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Author's Notes: Hey guys, I need to level with you all. I am sorry this fic has dragged on forever, and I am really trying to get it out. The only problem is, I am having trouble motivating and inspiring myself and I really do not want to just rush to get it over with because the fic will not be what I had intended it to be. So, hopefully I will find myself some inspiration and get this fic out. Thanks for sticking with me!


	23. Feels Like Flying

The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

Feels Like Flying

By: Madisonne 

Part: 22 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm... 

Warnings: Angst, injury

Notes: So I feel really bad... Combining the reviews on ff.net and gundam-wing-fanfiction.net, I've gotten over fifty reviews and haven't replied to a single one. *Blushes*Toes the ground* Forgive me, guys? So, I'm going to take this time to thank all my wonderful reviewers and... Yeah. 

Sooo, glomping and much thanks go to: Rogue11, EtheLeA, Darksong, Miss Kissranada, Spyro, Louie, Shinigami, kt, Lancynth, gundamlover63, Kate, ScytheMerquise, cat, kit kat kitty kat, Sparkles2, Skippys Cat, sijie, poppy, Lilly Lethe, Mystic Dragonsfire, Michelle Micky, HeeroDuo4eva, Melancholy-Girl, Ash, bkrrmom1... And I think that's it! If I've forgotten somebody, please hit me over the head with a fish. But preferably not a salmon. Perhaps a herring, though...

ScytheMerquise: Well, _I _hope the series stops _sometime_! ;-) Seriously though, telling me that you don't want the fic to end made my day, perhaps even my life. What can I say, I'm a loser... ;-) If it's any consolation, it does seem like this one will run on the longer side of forever. ^.^!

Kate: Oh, you've got me and about fifty bazillion other writers pegged - a nice review does wonders for the muses! Hopefully there will be some citrus stuff in there, perhaps even soon... But not for now! 

Miss Kissranada: I like the part about the ducks too! I'm a bit of a baby animal freak. Actually, one of my best friends drew a picture for that part - very amusing, I assure you!

Michelle Micky: O.O... I don't know who Hajime is, but I am fairly certain he would not be too fond of prostituting himself for more chapters. But then again, there are some weird people out there... ;-) Thanks for the offer though! ;-) 

Kit Kat Kitty Kat: [Just a warning to the general public, Kits and I are close friends, so I'm going to give her a hard time... But I still love her. In a weird, 'who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen pantry' sort of way.] Well, I've not seen much more GW than you have, dearie... ;-) If you say you'd like to see a part of the story illustrated, does that mean you're volunteering? *Nudges* Hmmm? As far as Treize's dream - of course I'm an awful, awful person. Why do you think I'm any fun? ;-) Oh, and about slapping you when I update - can I use a herring?

HeeroDuo4eva: I know! That whole dream sequence was really depressing! But it got the mood out of my system and nobody got seriously hurt because of it. Well, excepting a few reader's hearts... ;-)

EtheLeA: Of course you can review again! I'm a review whore, like pretty much everyone else here... ;-) 

So, thanks again to all the wonderful readers and reviewers! Much love!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

It had been one long week since the infamous argument and in that time Noin had not spoken to Zechs once. The doctor had been their only moderator, a role she grudgingly took, rolling her eyes and sighing at their childish antics more than once. 

For his part, Treize had spent the week hacking into the doctor's private notes online in order to keep track of Zechs' progress. He also took the opportunity to catch up on the latest movements of OZ and found that they were doing just fine without him, despite Lady Une's apparent conviction that the whole system would go to hell in a handbag if he missed work. 

The week had been one of subtle, but still important improvements on Zechs' condition. While he still was not able to walk much on his own, he was able to cut down on some of the pain medication as the low-grade pain that had seemed his constant companion finally began to taper off.

Noin was the first to crack their silence. They had spent the past week in the same apartment in without speaking to each other once - a group of cloistered monks on a vow of silence could hardly do much better. But, for whatever reason, she just gave up as they ate dinner on the couch. "You should talk to him." 

He gave her a withering look and shook his head. "You don't know him."

Anger grew in her, burning into a white-hot temper-tantrum. "I don't know him? What do _you_ know about him?!! Nothing!" Nearly spilling her rice, she opted to give it a safe home on the coffee table. "You've kept him at arm's length your _entire_ life! You know _nothing_ about him! I know that he sat by your bed for hours on end. I _know_ he told off Lady Une for you. I know he hasn't eaten properly since the accident, and I know he's been making himself physically ill out of guilt." She shook her head. Lowering her voice, she continued, "I know that he would _die_ for you. And I know a blonde who will be in _very_ deep trouble if he does not pick up a telephone now."

Zechs was rather in awe of the wrath that was Noin. Never before had he heard her use such a tone, not even after he switched her shampoo with pink dye, nor either the time he glued all her shoes to the ceiling of a mobile suit hangar. And he was slightly afraid. "I don't know where he is, his number, anything..."

She dug a piece of paper out of her back pocket. "He called Doctor Martin and she gave me this number." Shoving that and a cordless into his hands, she took her rice into the kitchen to give him some privacy.

'Here goes nothing..." He thought, dialling the number.

* * * * * * * 

Treize heard the phone ringing while he got out of the bath, but decided he did not much care to talk to anyone just then and ignored it.

He went over to the counter, wrapping a towel around himself. He opened a couple of bottles and took pill after pill. Only Treize and Treize alone would know whether or not he meant to overdose. 

He slowly wrapped his robe around himself, noting, with no little amusement, how his fingers seemed to not want to obey him.

His only thoughts as he slowly slid down to the cold bathroom floor were, 'It feels like... Flying.'

* * * * * * * 

Noin gave the blonde precisely twenty minutes alone before coming back into the living room. She was not expecting to see him calmly and methodically flipping through the channels on the television. "Zechs."

- Click click - went the remote. "Yeah?"

"How's Treize." She inquired.

- Click _click_ click - the _Home Shopping Network_ was quickly evaded. "Dunno."

She forced herself to take a deep breath and controlled her urge to throttle the man out of frustration. "Didn't you call him?"

- Click - there was a pause - click -. "I _did_."

The defensive tone in his voice irked her slightly and her right eye-lid suddenly flipped shut. 'I think I'm developing a twitch.' Deciding to have that looked at, she continued to try weaselling information out of him. "Didn't you ask him how he was doing?"

"Nope." Zechs answered simply. "You should have that looked at."

The fact that he had not even looked up, much less _at_ her and still knew what state she was in finally pissed her off enough that she stood in front of the television, blocking his view. "Why not?"

"He didn't answer." He replied, falling over sideways so that he could see the television again.

"Oh." She sighed and shook her head at his stubborn behaviour. 'How he made it this far without his instructors dismembering him, I'll never know.' It seemed Treize was the only one able to handle their verbal gridlocks. 'Probably because he's just as stubborn.' She snorted at the thought.

The phone rang loudly and insistently through the apartment, keeping Noin from beating the blonde on the couch. Giving him one last angry glare, she picked up the cordless. "Hello?"

"Ms. Noin?" Doctor Martin's voice sounded strained over the speaker.

"Yes Doctor?" She replied, concern causing her to frown.

"I realise Treize and Zechs aren't on the best of terms, but..." She sighed. "He over-dosed in his hotel and I don't think he should be alone."

"Oh, of course not!" She answered, flustered. "But how..." She sat down and rubbed her eyes worriedly. "Is he okay?"

"Gods, yes. I found him unconscious in his bathroom. He just need to be with people right now..."

"Where are you?" Noin asked, looking down at her watch.

"Uh, open your door." The doctor replied, then shut off her phone.

With a shake of her head, she shut of the phone and moved to open he door, throwing over her shoulder a "be nice, Zechs" as his only warning before opening it to see the doctor dragging the unconscious man along with her.

"He's _still_ out?" Noin asked, taking one of the general's arms, helping the doctor get him inside.

"What the hell happened?!!" Zechs asked, turning around to kneel on the couch, leaning precariously over the back.

Both women ignored him, dragging their burden to the bedroom and dropping him on the mattress.

"Guys, hello?" Zechs called from he other room, panic clear in his voice. "What's going on?"

Doctor Martin ignored the blonde's anxious query, methodically checking the general's pulse and the dilation of his pupils. Satisfied, she sighed and dropped his wrist. "Unfortunately he's at the state where the drugs have been in his body long enough that the only thing we can do is let him rest. He should be fully awake in a mere matter of hours."

"Ow!" Noin snapped as something hit the back of her head. 

"Hello?!! Did you all forget about me?" Zechs called, trying to find his crutches.

Spotting his ammunition, Noin grabbed the pair of socks and lobbed them back at the blonde. The fact that she hit him was good enough to amuse her. The fact that her shot had landed squarely between his eyes was merely icing on the cake. 

Doctor Martin decided to take pity on the boy, leaving Noin to shut the door behind herself, setting it slightly ajar in case the general needed something.

"Zechs," The doctor began, sitting down beside him. "I don't know how much you know of this, but Treize has been deeply depressed since the incident. Whether he meant to or not, he over-dosed this afternoon. He's going to be fine, but you need to make sure that he eats and sleeps properly. After all," She smiled ruefully, "You're the only person whose advice he truly listens too, much less takes."

'Fat lot of good _that_ did me...' A cynical, nasty voice spoke in his brain. 'Be nice...' His subconscious nagged worriedly. "But he'll be alright?"

"Of course." She smiled reassuringly.

Noin sighed, resigning herself to her fate as an eternal nanny. Even before, when the two were engaged in a mini-war of their own making, she had only been responsible to see that Zechs ate and that he did not try to walk too far in one day. Now she had to make sure Zechs ate, that he stayed put, that Treize was kept away from drugs, that he ate, and that they did not do permanent damage to each other. Sighing again, she contemplated merely chaining them to separate ends of the apartment. 

* * * * * * * 

Noin knocked on the door to the bedroom softly, unsure whether Zechs was awake or not. She poked her head in and saw the blonde sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the darkening sky of twilight. "Hey."

He turned around and gave her a weary smile. "Hi. He's still not up yet."

She glanced at the man on the bed. "He was probably worn out. Worrying himself sick over... Well... You know what I mean."

Zechs bit his lip and nodded. "I..." He searched for the words to say what he was feeling. "I did this to him, didn't I?"

"In a way, yes. But it wasn't your _fault_, per say." Noin thought for a moment. "I would say that he always has had somewhat of a problem with depression and anxiety. And I know that he feels guilty for what happened to you... So, no, _you_ did not cause him to... Do this... The situation, however, did." She smiled lightly at the blonde. "He feels responsible for everyone around him. That has to be a great burden."

"He sleeps so peacefully. You'd never know how much he had been through." Zechs commented, his eyes resting on auburn hair. 

Noin sighed mentally at the blonde's apparent inability to make up his mind as to how he treated the general. Mere hours before, he was ready to lash out at the older man, but now he was regarding him like some wounded puppy. "You'd better go do some laps - we have to keep you in shape, don't we? He'll be here when you return, even if I have to glue him to the floor."

"But..." Zechs wavered, eyes flickering between the two. "What if..."

"_When_ he wakes up, I will let him know where you are and that I insisted you continue your physical therapy. He will understand." She told him firmly, shooing him out of the room quickly.

An hour later saw the blonde finishing up his laps in the pool when a familiar person walked into the otherwise empty gym. Zechs surreptitiously watched the man amble over to the water's edge by his arm. 

"Zechs." The word sounded to both of them less as a greeting and more as an announcement of his presence. 

"Yeah." He responded warily.

With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, looking down at the pilot in the water. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Zechs asked, halfway knowing the answer already, but needing to hear it all the same.

"For not understanding." He replied simply. "Can you forgive me?"

The blonde seemed to ponder it, a shadow of an all-too-familiar gleam in Zechs' eyes putting Treize on edge. 

Losing all expression what so ever, he replied. "Maybe. If you promise not to do it again." He stretched a wet hand up for a handshake to solidify the deal.

Treize nodded, taking the proffered hand. He was shocked to find himself mere moments later underwater, Zechs having pulled him in with him. Sputtering to the surface, he pushed the hair out of his eyes and gave the blonde a stunned look. 

In the next moment, they both reacted - Zechs by swimming as fast as he could away from the general, and the latter in close pursuit, throwing up a batch of curses aimed at the blonde. 

"You won't get away with this!" He panted between strokes. "I know where you live!" 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Notes: Sorry for the length of time it took to get this out - I've been really sick. Sorry again! 


End file.
